Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS): All incoming passengers from China to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) here shall be subjected to a 'thermal screening' to detect novel coronavirus, an official said here on Saturday.

The precaution is being taken in view of the recent outbreak of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus in Wuhan city in Hubei province of China, an official spokesperson said. The virus is likely to spread globally.

Medical teams at CSMIA have activated a health counter and thermal scanners at the pre-immigration area for inbound passengers arriving by Air China and RwandAir, which operate flights between Mumbai and China.

The measure is in compliance with the latest directives issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) to detect if any traveller is afflicted by the symptoms of novel coronavirus.

The concerned passenger/s will be immediately isolated to a hospital earmarked for CSMIA. The airport will submit a daily report to the government on the scanning of passenger/s.

As announced by China, this is a new type of coronavirus, which is different from all other human coronaviruses. The WHO has indicated symptoms like fever, breathing difficulties and chest radiographs showing bilateral lung infiltrates as the causes of pneumonia.

It has also advised to avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, frequent handwashing, and avoiding contact with dead farm or wild animals. Infected travellers should practice proper cough etiquettes.

CSMIA is the first airport in the country to have seven ambulances, including three with advanced life-support system, available round-the-clock on its premises. It is also the only airport with over 100 automated external defibrillators and a 10-bed mini hospital. It also has agreements with more than 20 hospitals to handle medical emergencies.