Sudanese national with suspected Ebola symptoms isolated in Hyderabad; Three quarantined in Chhattisgarh

A Sudanese national, who recently travelled to South Sudan and Uganda before reaching the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad on Thursday with suspected Ebola symptoms, has been shifted to an isolation centre.

The Airport Health Organisation had set up a screening centre to examine all international passengers for symptoms related to the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreak reported mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. 

An airport official told PTI that it was not a confirmed Ebola case. "The passenger has a travel history to affected countries. It is being treated as a suspected case because we do not yet know whether he will develop additional symptoms. Only after testing and confirmation can he be classified as an Ebola case."

The state-run Gandhi Hospital here has set up an Ebola Isolation Centre to keep the suspected patient under observation and conduct further tests.

Returnees from African nations in Chhattisgarh
Meanwhile, three travellers, who had no Ebola symptoms, were isolated in Chhattisgarh's Durg as they had travelled to the virus-hit African nations. They were currently asymptomatic, and health officials were monitoring their condition through telephonic follow-up twice a day. 

Airport advisory
In May, the Hyderabad Airport had issued an advisory stating that it was implementing enhanced public health preparedness measures in accordance with the latest directives from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) regarding the ongoing Ebola Virus Disease outbreak reported in certain countries. The advisory applies to passengers arriving from or transiting through affected regions, including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and neighbouring high-risk areas.

Passengers arriving from or transiting through affected countries may be required to complete a Self-Declaration Form (SDF) before deboarding, the advisory said.

According to the WHO website, Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates. The virus is transmitted to humans from infected wild animals-such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates-and subsequently spreads among people through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as through contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing. 
(With PTI inputs)