Sharjah Airport installed a thermal scanner yesterday, making it the third airport to install the high temperature detector to help ward off the contagious new strain of H1N1 virus from entering the UAE.

"By the grace of God no cases have so far been detected," said Dr Essam Salameh, head of medical services at the airport. "We installed the scanner today and it is operating," he said. Passengers arriving at this airport were earlier checked with a digital ear thermometer.

The scanner costs Dh200,000 and consists of a camera that uses thermal imaging to assess skin temperature.

A passenger with high fever, above 38 degree Celsius, is isolated and the Ministry of Health then takes over, said the doctor. An isolation area has been set up at the airport, he said. The H1N1 virus has incubation period ranges between one to seven days.

Dr Salameh said there is no danger of the virus entering through this airport as most of the flights do not originate from countries with high infection.

If a pilot feels a passenger has a fever, he will inform the air traffic controller, who in turn will alert the airport medical centre. Airports have also requested airlines to make announcements in advance about children on board to facilitate screenings at the airport.

Passengers travelling from infected countries have to give a written confirmation that they are free of fever since the past week before they board the aircraft.

Sharjah airport handles more than five million passengers every year, while over nine million passengers pass through Abu Dhabi yearly. Dubai Airport handles 100,000 passengers every day.

UAE had set up a special task force after WHO warned of a pandemic. A hotline number 800358 has also been set up and receives about 400 calls daily according to a staffer manning the number.