Guangdong on guard for Ebola

African residents walk in Xiaobei Road, a commercial area in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, March 21, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Precautionary measures are being put in-place in the city of Guangzhou to stop the potential spread of the Ebola virus, which has killed hundreds of people in west Africa this year.

The southern Chinese metropolis is home to a relatively large population of African expats.

More than a thousand people from Africa arrive at the Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou every day.

Machines have been set up to test passengers' body temperature.

Any one whose body temperature is above 37.5 degrees Celsius will have his or her blood tested.

Chen Yanling is with the Baiyun International Airport.

"We have dispatched more personnel to various positions. We have strengthened monitoring for those who may have a high fever. We've already pulled people aside with high fevers, but so far none of them have tested positive for the ebola virus."

An outbreak of ebola, which began in February in Guinea, has since spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Fears of a global spread of the virus are on the rise, after a US citizen working in Liberia managed to make it on a flight into Nigeria this week carrying the ebola virus. He later died.

More than 700 people have died from the current ebola outbreak in West Africa.

World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan is due to meet West African presidents in Guinea later on this Friday.

They are expected to announce a joint $100-million response plan.