Medical professionals and political leaders are pushing to enhance screening at airports across the country as concern grows for travelers coming from Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa.
Airline crews and border agents already watch for obviously sick passengers, and in a high-level meeting at the White House, officials discussed potential options for screening passengers when they arrive in the U.S. as well.
President Barack Obama said the U.S. will be "working on protocols to do additional passenger screening both at the source and here in the United States." He did not outline any details or offer a timeline for when new measures might begin.
Additional screening would not have caught Duncan because he wasn't exhibiting any Ebola symptoms when he arrived in the U.S.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry urged the U.S. government to begin screening air passengers arriving from Ebola-affected nations, including taking their temperatures.
"Customs officials and Border Patrol agents at all points of entry should immediately be directed to conduct enhanced screening procedures," said Perry.
NBC News reported the White House wants to add CDC personnel at some major ports of entry that likely include airports in New York City, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
Air travelers in North Texas have mixed opinions about adding additional measures.
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"I think it's OK the way it is," said Louis Garcia, who was traveling from DFW Airport to Brownsville.
"We're from California, and we were coming here [to Dallas-Fort Worth]," said traveler Edgar Apodaca. "I heard it [Ebola] was in Dallas, it concerns me."
The latest measure will most likely target passengers traveling from West African countries where Ebola is widespread.
"It's [Ebola] something you ought to keep an eye on," said Grant Abrams, who was traveling to Chile. "It would be best to catch it before it starts spreading."
There was no timeline on when the additional measures would be put into place or how it would affect travelers at DFW Airport. A senior White House official told NBC News officials are still working on those details.
Editor's note: NBC 5 previously reported incorrectly in this story that the CDC was working to add 20 additional quarantine stations. We have corrected this information in the above report.
