Customs requirements for pets more stringent than for humans arriving from Ebola hot zones

(NaturalNews) In recent days, after news that the Ebola virus had spread to our shores, several U.S. officials have said that, despite the desire of millions of Americans to close our borders to travel from the affected West African regions, that just isn't going to happen.

One of those to call for a travel ban was Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican and potential GOP presidential contender in 2016. As reported by Politico, Jindal said, in a statement:

"We should stop accepting flights from countries that are Ebola stricken.

"President Obama said it was 'unlikely' that Ebola would reach the U.S. Well, it has, and we need to protect our people.

"But the Obama administration keeps saying they won't shut down flights. They instead say we should listen to 'the experts.' In fact, they said it would be counterproductive to stop these flights. That statement defies logic. How exactly would stopping the entry of people potentially carrying the Ebola virus be counterproductive? This seems to be an obvious step to protect public health in the United States."

Separately, a Missouri physician, Dr. Gil Mobley, believes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not being honest about the potential for the disease to spread.

Cats, dogs, pets receive more scrutiny than people from disease-ravaged parts of the world

"For months, doctors in my community -- since we had a meeting six weeks ago -- have been convinced that the United States will be importing clusters regularly," he told local media during a staged protest at Atlanta's international airport. "Right now, on the continent of West Africa, there are a million people in isolation, in quarantine, because of Ebola, and ten thousand passengers leave West Africa every single day. It's just a matter of time before this disease is carried to every corner of the world."

Their comments come after CDC chief Tom Frieden said that idea was not practical and that it might "backfire" and could actually make it harder to control the spread of the virus (an argument which makes no sense at all).

All that said, what is also true is that it is easier to get to the U.S. these days from an Ebola-stricken West African country than it is to bring a dog or a cat into the country. In particular, the CDC lays out these requirements:

-- Dogs imported to the U.S. must be "healthy" and "vaccinated against rabies."

"Dogs may be denied entry if they look like they are sick with a communicable disease or if proof of a valid rabies vaccination is not provided," says the CDC website. "If a dog appears to be sick at the port of entry, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the dog owner's expense might be required."

Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has additional hoops that you must jump through before any animals or pets can be brought into the country:

Travelers frequently inquire about taking their pets with them to the United States. All such imports are subject to health, quarantine, agriculture, or wildlife requirements and prohibitions. Pets taken out of the United States and returned are subject to the same requirements as those entering for the first time.

'Those people have rights'

The CBP adds that the CDC requires that pets be examined at ports or airports of entry "for evidence of diseases that can be transmitted to humans."

But humans from Ebola-stricken parts of the world? No problem -- come on in. "The only way we're going to get to zero risk is by stopping the outbreak at the source," CDC's Frieden said on MSNBC, continuing:

Even if we tried to close the border, it wouldn't work. People have a right to return. People transiting through could come in. And it would backfire, because by isolating these countries, it'll make it harder to help them, it will spread more there and we'd be more likely to be exposed here.

"What kind of "rights" do Americans have to not become infected?" should have been the question asked of Frieden, but alas, the mainstream media is in agreement.

And because of this attitude, Dr. Mobley -- and others -- believe an epidemic in the U.S. is certain.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov

https://help.cbp.gov

https://help.cbp.gov

http://www.aphis.usda.gov

http://www.politico.com

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com

http://www.politico.com

http://science.naturalnews.com