AKIPRESS.COM - Home Office minister Norman Baker has defended the government's decision to screen some people arriving in the UK for the Ebola virus.

Those arriving from areas hit by Ebola face "enhanced screening" at Heathrow, Gatwick and Eurostar terminals.

Ministers initially said there were no plans to screen people arriving from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Mr Baker said the government changed its mind as a result of new advice from the chief medical officer.

Downing Street said passengers would be asked questions and potentially given a medical assessment.

But Gatwick has said it knows nothing about the new measures, reports BBC.

An airport spokesman said: "We've not had anything at all. We're still waiting for Public Health England (to let us know)."

A Heathrow spokesman said it was working with the health body to implement the measures and reassured passengers the risk of a traveller contracting Ebola had been assessed as low.

Eurostar said it was "liaising with relevant authorities to work out how it will be implemented".

Mr Baker said: "I think it's a good reflection on the government that they listened to professional advice from the chief medical officer and are prepared to change their minds."

It comes as Whitehall sources say it is "very unlikely" a British man who died in Macedonia on Thursday could have contracted the disease.

It had been claimed that the man - thought to be 57 - may have had Ebola.