# Why travel restrictions won't stop ebola **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2014, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569 "2014-10-16T19:48:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/61 "2014-10-18T20:42:04Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > We understand how quarantines work. > > Do you understand how porous borders, lax enforcement, and forged documents work? Yes, but all three of these occur according to the diligence of the officials responsible for them in normal and orderly times. Do you assume that it is impossible, under emergency conditions of a global health threat, for any of those to be tightened up just by circulating a memo? You can’t say that the diligence of a quarantine would have been enforced all these year, when there was no quarantine order in place. I cited my own example of authorities in an African nation setting up a quarantine literally within hours. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/62 "2014-10-18T20:48:46Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Last time I checked, Brazil was not in North America, which was the region I mentioned in my post. Well neither is western Europe, which you mentioned in the post I was referring to. I was simply pointing out another location from which the US might have to ban flights, were they inclined to do so. I really don’t get the motivation for your snark, but that’s fine. I’ll not annoy you further. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/63 "2014-10-18T21:41:27Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > And Africa works with bribery and corruption.Will not work in Africa where there is bribery and corruption with the police ,government and people. Please do not make assertions in the General Questions on something you know nothing about. The Senegal and the Cote d’Ivoire have maintained a cordon sanitaire with the effected countries that are bordering them and have in the case of the Senegal managed to more effectively control the one case of traveller Ebola, brought by a student from the Guineau Conakry, who not only was identified but he lived, unlike the Liberian that came to the United States. The ignorant statements in this forum about the African countries and about the Africa in general are not necessary. > [@](#): > > Only way is for the US army to go to Africa and quarantine people and patrol the airport and borders. Stay away from us. > [@jtur88](#): > > I cited my own example of authorities in an African nation setting up a quarantine literally within hours. Do you pretend to speak to the 2011 cholera problem? Please do provide your evidences of the claim about what the actions around it and even specifically about Mopti. Be aware you are not speaking to an American who knows nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/64 "2014-10-18T21:43:37Z")
I question what is the purpose of a travel ban other than serving a panic and blind fear? In Bruxelles there is normal service and controls. But the Belgians, they are used to serving Africa and are not so ignorant and fearful of Africa. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/65 "2014-10-18T22:47:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I heard a new joke about Ebola. > > You probably won’t get it. > > _rimshot_😛 LOL ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/66 "2014-10-18T23:17:23Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > LOL [Hah? Hah?](http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m305/llaaksonen/Yagetit.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/67 "2014-10-19T00:30:56Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > If the US army cannot seal the land and sea borders of unarmed people the US is doom in war if China sends million navy seals to do target attacks of key infrastructure of power station ,shipping ports ,power lines ,gas stations ,gas lines ,airports ,bridges so on in a million crude semi stealth boats.And once in the US cities in small groups no more 20 fighting city war far of groups would be very hard. Dude, don’t say this on a public message board where they can steal the strategy! ---
**Author:** ![sweat209](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/68 "2014-10-19T01:45:53Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Dude, don’t say this on a public message board where they can steal the strategy! I don’t think future wars will be conventional wars like in the past.I see future wars more like. 1 Biowarfare 2 cyber attack/Key infrastructure and communication. 3 guerrilla warfare 4.Navy seals type cross hybrid of guerrilla type. 5.terrorism and terrorists 6.And hybrid of terrorism, terrorists guerrilla type attacks in more army type Navy seal. Unless China or Russia pumps bullion money into the army to be like the US or better I don’t see them fighting like a conventional war. If the US army is not ready for these types wars than we are doomed. And 50 or 100 years out things like swarm robots ,killer robots , robots and drones fighters. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/69 "2014-10-19T02:37:15Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Do you pretend to speak to the 2011 cholera problem? Please do provide your evidences of the claim about what the actions around it and even specifically about Mopti. Be aware you are not speaking to an American who knows nothing. No, Sir, it was 1970. I regret that there is not an exhaustive body of material on the internet that I can cite which confirm my own personal experiences. You may take them as lies if you wish, that is your prerogative. but it is better if you refrain from publicly stating that they are lies. Cholera was poorly understood in those times, and it was not unusual for local quarantine zones to be set up when there were cholera breakouts. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/70 "2014-10-19T03:42:19Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > No, Sir, it was 1970. I regret that there is not an exhaustive body of material on the internet that I can cite which confirm my own personal experiences. You may take them as lies if you wish, that is your prerogative. but it is better if you refrain from publicly stating that they are lies. > > Cholera was poorly understood in those times, and it was not unusual for local quarantine zones to be set up when there were cholera breakouts. Part of my family is from Mali in origin. I do not refrain from stating that you make statements that are not matching what I know of the practices and capacity after the coup d’état of Traoré. The claim that the city of Mopti was so effectively closed off, in \*\*1970… it is not credible to me. \*\* I ask again for your confirmations of the strong claims you made. If you say this based on only a vague recollection of decades past, of your own memory, then you should make such clear. You implied some recent knowledge. And cholera, it was **not** poorly understood in 1970 from the point of view of public transmissions, why do you make this claim? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/71 "2014-10-19T07:59:30Z")
[Nigeria has apparently contained the small Ebola outbreak that it recently suffered, pretty effectively.](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-did-nigeria-quash-its-ebola-outbreak-so-quickly/) If they can do it, the USA (and Europe) ought to be capable. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/72 "2014-10-19T12:31:56Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Part of my family is from Mali in origin. > > I do not refrain from stating that you make statements that are not matching what I know of the practices and capacity after the coup d’état of Traoré. The claim that the city of Mopti was so effectively closed off, in \*\*1970… it is not credible to me. \*\* > > I ask again for your confirmations of the strong claims you made. If you say this based on only a vague recollection of decades past, of your own memory, then you should make such clear. You implied some recent knowledge. > > And cholera, it was **not** poorly understood in 1970 from the point of view of public transmissions, why do you make this claim? The fact that your family is from Mali has no effect on the facts that I observed and briefly summarized. Nor your credence of events that occurred before you were born – have you ever even been in Mali, yourself? I made the source of my information perfectly clear, stating that I was there to observe it first hand. Those facts do not cease to exist merely because nobody posted them in peer-reviewed academic journals. In 1970, it was widely held that vaccination against cholera was effective (it was not), and it was not well known that cholera could be treated effectively with very simple medical field procedures, readily available even in a city like Mopti. Twenty years later, I was in areas with known cholera cases, where there was no quarantine, but only local public health advisories, which effectively quelled the outbreaks without any panics. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/73 "2014-10-19T16:06:49Z")
> [@sweat209](#): > > I don’t think future wars will be conventional wars like in the past.I see future wars more like. > > 1 Biowarfare > 2 cyber attack/Key infrastructure and communication. > 3 guerrilla warfare > 4.Navy seals type cross hybrid of guerrilla type. > 5.terrorism and terrorists > 6.And hybrid of terrorism, terrorists guerrilla type attacks in more army type Navy seal. > > Unless China or Russia pumps bullion money into the army to be like the US or better I don’t see them fighting like a conventional war. > > If the US army is not ready for these types wars than we are doomed. > > And 50 or 100 years out things like swarm robots ,killer robots , robots and drones fighters. **Moderator Note** **sweat09** , this is getting pretty off topic for the subject of the thread. Let’s stick to Ebola and disease control rather than future wars. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/74 "2014-10-19T18:10:54Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Does anybody understand the meaning of the word “quaantine”? Not me, that’s for sure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/75 "2014-10-19T20:12:08Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > > [@jtur88](#): > > > > Does anybody understand the meaning of the word “quaantine”? > > Not me, that’s for sure. 🙂 Easy Peasy: **jtur88** is from Baaston. Everybody up there pronounces it that way. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/76 "2014-10-20T03:11:44Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Here’s my question - why isn’t western Europe in a panic about ebola the same way we seem to be here in the US? Has any country there been considering a travel ban for people flying-in from western Africa? British Airways [cancelled](http://time.com/3082936/ebola-africa-british-airways/) all flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone way back in August, and the UK government has [forbidden](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/13/ebola-uk-cancels-resumption-direct-flights-sierra-leone-gambia-bird) the German-owned Gambia Bird airline to fly into Heathrow from Sierra Leone. Air France [cancelled](http://www.france24.com/en/20140828-air-france-suspend-flights-ebola-sierra-leone-guinea-liberia/) service to Sierra Leone, at the request of the French government. It has continued flights to Guinea, although its flight attendants’ union is [calling for](http://www.thelocal.fr/20141018/air-france-unions-seek-to-stop-flights-to-guinea) those flights to stop. There were some early reports of cabin crew [refusing](http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0820/638337-air-france/) to work flights to the affected countries. Brussels Airlines [continues](http://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2014/10/06/ebola-will-not-keep-brussels-airlines-out-of-africa/) to fly, although it no longer allows crew changes or overnight stays in the affected countries. Passengers meeting whatever criteria are [screened](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/rules-vary-travel-countries-hit-ebola-26280041) in London, Paris, and [Brussels](http://news.yahoo.com/belgiums-main-airport-begin-ebola-170515899.html). The NYT recently ran an [article](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/world/europe/in-europe-fear-of-ebola-far-outweighs-the-true-risks.html?_r=0), “In Europe, Fear of Ebola Exceeds the Actual Risks.” The Daily Beast ran an [article](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/20/ebola-fueled-racism-is-on-the-rise-in-europe.html), “Ebola-Fueled Racism Is on the Rise in Europe.” In Spain, medical staff [protested](http://news.yahoo.com/eu-demands-explanation-spain-ebola-case-084859314.html) at one point outside the hospital where the Ebola fatality and the secondary infection of the nurse occurred, calling for the resignation of Spain’s health minister. And, of course, Spanish authorities killed the nurse’s dog. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/77 "2014-10-20T03:19:17Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Yes, but all three of these occur according to the diligence of the officials responsible for them in normal and orderly times. Do you assume that it is impossible, under emergency conditions of a global health threat, for any of those to be tightened up just by circulating a memo? > > You can’t say that the diligence of a quarantine would have been enforced all these year, when there was no quarantine order in place. I cited my own example of authorities in an African nation setting up a quarantine literally within hours. Yes, I do assume that it is impossible that merely circulating a memo will cause all of the officials responsible to immediately become super-diligent and super-honest and super-effective. No, there hasn’t been a general quarantine, but there have been laws and regulations and policies about border controls, and those laws/regulations/policies are routinely honored in the breach, even in relatively sophisticated countries. Meanwhile, there have been small and localized quarantines. For example, back in August the Liberian government quarantined the neighborhood of West Point, a slum district of Monrovia, for ten days. [Local media](http://www.liberianobserver.com/news/drop-point-west-point) reported that the soldiers and police officers enforcing emergency conditions during a global health threat accepted bribes to allow people and goods to flow in and out through the checkpoints. You are expecting “just by circulating a memo” to change that?!? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/78 "2014-10-20T03:52:21Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Easy Peasy: **jtur88** is from Baaston. Everybody up there pronounces it that way. 😉 I always rest easy then the argument to my proposition has nothing to object to but a typo. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/79 "2014-10-20T09:49:02Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > The fact that your family is from Mali has no effect on the facts that I observed and briefly summarized. Nor your credence of events that occurred before you were born – have you ever even been in Mali, yourself? Many, many, many times. And I am sure much more than you. I do not find your claim credible. > [@](#): > > I made the source of my information perfectly clear, stating that I was there to observe it first hand. Those facts do not cease to exist merely because nobody posted them in peer-reviewed academic journals. This is the straw man. It is not a matter of “peer review” it is a matter of matching anything in the record. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569/80 "2014-10-20T12:47:31Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Many, many, many times. And I am sure much more than you. > > I do not find your claim credible. > > This is the straw man. It is not a matter of “peer review” it is a matter of matching anything in the record. Then I refuse to accept anything you claim about Mali based on your many, many personal experiences, unless you can cite records that match your assertions. What you personally know from experience is of no credibility, according to your own argument. You have a very roundabout way of calling me a liar, although it amounts to the same thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-travel-restrictions-wont-stop-ebola/701569.md?page=5)