Public Health Agency of Canada, Dr. Gregory Taylor – While Canada and its international partners provide support to respond to the tragic Ebola outbreak ongoing now in Africa, I want to reassure Canadians that the risk to Canada is very low.

The Ebola virus itself does not spread easily from person to person. It’s not like the flu. It’s spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, not through casual contact.

We also have a number of systems in place in Canada to identify and prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases like Ebola, as well as provide ill patients with the best possible care.

We have comprehensive procedures in place at our borders to identify sick travellers arriving in Canada. These are set out in the Quarantine Act, which is administered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at every point of entry into Canada.

The Act requires travellers to report to a Canada Borders Services Agency agent if they are ill upon arrival. As well, airlines and airport authorities are required to report ill travellers arriving on international flights to Quarantine Officers.

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