The island’s borders are being closely monitored to limit the possibility of an Ebola outbreak, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne is assuring.

Giving a breakdown of the island’s Ebola readiness, Mr Fearne yesterday told Parliament that measures to detect possible carriers of the disease had increased significantly in recent weeks.

Air and sea arrivals will, from next week, be made to declare whether they have visited any affected countries in the past 21 days. Withholding such information, Mr Fearne warned, would be deemed a criminal offence.

Checks will also be carried out with EU border control agencies to verify the information given by those entering the island.

Anyone trying to enter after having recently visited any of the affected countries will be kept under close medical observation or, if necessary, be quarantined until certified fit for release.

Crew from affected countries will also be subject to rigorous medical tests on arrival.

More than 9,000 cases of Ebola have been confirmed in West Africa, claiming some 4,500 lives since the outbreak began in March.

Formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, the severe illness has a death rate of up to 90 per cent.

It affects humans and non-human primates and is normally transmitted through human to human interaction.

The virus has ravaged Liberia and there have since been isolated cases in the US and Europe.