CRI听力:Low Risk of Ebola Transmission in Air Travel: WHO

The World Health Organization has again stated that the risk of transmission of the Ebola virus during air travel remains low.

Many nations have been considering whether to suspend flights from countries in West Africa affected by the deadly disease.

Isabelle Nuttall, Director of WHO Global Capacity Alert and Response, says the agency's advice is based on the fact that Ebola does not travel the same way the common cold does.

Nuttall says Ebola is not an airborne disease and it is transmitted by contact of the body fluid of sick person.

Officials with Kenya Airways have decided not to suspend flights to West Africa.

Chief Executive Officer Titus Naikuni.

"We have not been advised to ban traveling and that is why we continue to that particular region. We have had of course surveillance around the airport here, when I talk about surveillance not direct surveillance ourselves but to look at what the Ministry of Health is doing around the airport here and we are satisfied by the work is being done."

The decision comes a day after the WHO classified the East African country as a high risk area for Ebola transmission, citing Kenya's status as a major regional transport hub.

While at the same time, Korean Air has announced the suspension of flights to the Kenyan capital Nairobi because of fears over the virus.

Nairobi is the airline's only destination in Africa.

The airliner says the travel restriction will last until the end of this year.

In other developments, Nigeria has reported its fourth Ebola death, a nurse in a Lagos hospital.

The latest victim had come into contact with the Liberian patient who brought the disease into Lagos in July.

Also, East Africa's Mozambique has announced new preventive measures, including screening all travelers directly flying from affected countries and flying via Kenya.

At the same time, Chinese medical teams are continuing their work in West Africa.

Zou Xiaoming, the Chinese Commercial Counselor in Sierra Leone, says the situation in the capital Freetown is relatively calm.

"There are only 12 reported Ebola cases in the capital. This is not so serious given that the city has around 2 million people. Most of the patients in the capital are residents who traveled from other cities. "

Zou also notes China sent in aid supplies earlier this year, even before Sierra Leone requested help.

"On May 13th, 1 million yuan worth of aid supplies reached Sierra Leone. It was the first batch. On the 15th, it was handed over to the Sierra Leone government. And just a day after that, the country reported its first confirmed Ebola case. So our supplies arrived in the country even before the first case was confirmed. "

Meantime, the United States has ordered family members of its diplomats to leave Sierra Leone.