Australian travellers are being warned that if you choose to visit West African nations reeling from an Ebola virus outbreak, you are on your own if you run into trouble.
The deadly virus has killed nearly 700 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since March. It has a 90% fatality rate and no known cure or vaccine.
A death this week hundreds of kilometres away in Nigeria has sparked fears the virus is spreading further. The International Civil Aviation Organization says it is considering passenger screenings for Ebola, now that the deadly virus for the first time has crossed international borders aboard an aircraft.
Emergency talks are underway with officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to discuss the proposed changes, amid the worst ever outbreak of the highly contagious disease.
The latest updated advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recommends Australian travellers defer all travel to the region, warning they could become stranded if the outbreak worsens.
Travellers relying on their travel insurance may face difficulties as medical evacuations for any Ebola patient would be "extremely difficult to conduct" as borders in the region could close and travel restrictions be imposed with "little or no warning".
Travellers already in the region should closely monitor local health advice and know the symptoms of the virus, which are severe and include high fever and weakness followed by external and internal bleeding.
