Ebola screening starts at O'Hare

Screening for the Ebola virus has begun at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Customs and health officials at O'Hare started taking the temperatures of passengers from three West African countries Thursday. Up to 25 passengers arrive daily from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Federal officials say the entry screenings add another layer of protection to halt the spread of the virus that has killed thousands. Screeners use no-touch thermometers to try to find passengers with fevers.

Presence Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago has long been designated the intake hospital for sick international travelers transferred from O'Hare. Chicago Department of Public Health spokesman Ryan Gage says the department is working closely with Resurrection hospital "in case there is a need for medical evaluation of a patient exhibiting possible symptoms of Ebola."

Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Public Health activated a hotline to answer the public's questions about Ebola.

It will be managed by staff from the Illinois Poison Center who will be able to answer questions about the virus and the state's response.

The hotline will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline number is 800-889-3931.