Vitter blasts ‘incompetent’ CDC response at La. port

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) is asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to explain its policies for quarantining people with Ebola-like symptoms when they arrive at a U.S. port.

Vitter wrote a letter to the agency Tuesday citing a “sick passenger” who arrived at the Port of New Orleans last weekend on a ship that originated in Liberia.

{mosads}The CDC notified congressional offices of the case but did not quarantine the individual, who had a fever, according to Vitter.

“What I find alarming is the CDC determined the passenger had a fever, a common symptom of Ebola, the passenger was not placed in the agency’s quarantine program,” Vitter wrote.

“Based on the CDC’s response this week in the Port of New Orleans, I believe your agency has been incredibly incompetent and put the health of Louisianans at risk.”

The letter asked if the CDC evaluated all passengers on the ship; whether the agency is following up with each person over Ebola’s 21-day incubation period; and why the individual with a fever was not quarantined.

Quarantines are typically administered by state governments, not federal health officials.

New York, New Jersey and Illinois in particular have become known for their aggressive approaches to containing any possible spread of Ebola.

Those states require healthcare workers returning from West Africa to remain isolated for 21 days, a rule experts say will lower the number of people who volunteer to fight Ebola.

Louisiana is not receiving any airline passengers from the countries affected by the epidemic, but has threatened quarantines nonetheless.