Health authorities across India have ramped up airport surveillance, traveler monitoring, and quarantine protocols following the emergence of suspected Ebola cases in Bengaluru and Gujarat. However, no Ebola infection has been confirmed in the country so far.
Negative Test Brings Relief in Bengaluru
A 28-year-old Ugandan woman who was isolated in Bengaluru on suspicion of Ebola infection has tested negative for the virus. This development has brought relief amid heightened global concern over fresh Ebola outbreaks reported in parts of Africa.
Enhanced Surveillance at Airports
Officials stated that Airport Health Organisation (APHO) teams are directly contacting travelers arriving from affected countries. Even individuals with mild symptoms are being isolated as a precautionary measure. “Even if someone reports a slight headache, we do not want to take any chances and are keeping such persons in isolation,” an official said. Samples are being sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) for testing.
Gujarat Suspected Case Under Investigation
In Gujarat, a 37-year-old man, Amuri Lokula, who traveled from Africa and Bangladesh before arriving in Mumbai and later Vadodara for business purposes, has been quarantined at Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad. His sample has been sent to NIV Pune, with results expected within 24 to 48 hours.
According to health officials, the man developed fever, cold, and cough symptoms. He was initially admitted to a private hospital in Vadodara but was later shifted to the special Ebola ward at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital after his travel history emerged during screening.
Precautionary Observation of Contacts
Authorities have placed the man’s two associates and a doctor who came into professional contact with him under observation as a precautionary measure.
