A 35-year-old Sudanese national was admitted to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on Thursday under suspicion of carrying the Ebola virus. The patient arrived in Hyderabad on a medical visa for knee surgery and was flagged during health screening at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA).
Initial Screening and Symptoms
According to hospital authorities, the traveler was transferred to the hospital for further evaluation after a thermal scanner recorded a body temperature of 100°F at the airport. His travel history revealed that he had flown into Hyderabad via Ethiopia and had visited Uganda and South Sudan within the past 21 days, prompting health officials to place him under Ebola surveillance protocols.
“The traveler landed at RGIA at midnight. He is suspected of having contracted the Ebola virus due to his travel history and fever. However, he has not reported any known contact with an Ebola patient,” said the Airport Public Health Officer (APHO).
Medical Evaluation at Gandhi Hospital
Doctors at Gandhi Hospital noted that the traveler did not exhibit other common Ebola symptoms, such as vomiting, bleeding, or abdominal pain. He only complained of having had a fever for the past four days. “However, his temperature was normal when it was checked after he arrived at the hospital around 3:30 am on Thursday,” said Dr. Vamshee Krishna, nodal officer for Gandhi Hospital’s isolation ward.
As per protocol, blood, urine, and swab samples were collected and sent to the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for testing. “The reports are expected within two days. If the test is negative, he may be advised to undergo home isolation and monitoring. If the result is positive, further treatment protocols will be followed,” said Dr. N Vani, superintendent of Gandhi Hospital.
Passenger Monitoring and Precautions
The APHO stated that fellow passengers have been identified and informed to monitor themselves for symptoms while health authorities continue to assess the case. Officials noted that the traveler had minimal interaction with other passengers during the journey. “The traveler had an entire row to himself as the flight was largely empty. We still screened the other passengers after they landed here. The traveler who was sent to Gandhi Hospital had also traveled directly to Hyderabad without any stopover elsewhere in India,” the APHO added.
