A 28-year-old Ugandan woman who arrived at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on May 23 has been placed in isolation at the Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Indiranagar as a precautionary measure. Her samples have been collected for Ebola testing following a global alert over the viral disease.
Details of the Case
According to Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey, principal secretary of the health department, the woman did not show obvious symptoms such as fever. “We are still not sure (of her symptoms). The Airport Health Organisation noticed signs such as fatigue and decided to collect samples,” he said. The samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing.
Health department officials stated that the woman initially checked into a hotel after arriving from Uganda but was later shifted to the state-run hospital when she developed mild symptoms like body ache. Authorities confirmed that her condition is currently stable and she is under close monitoring.
Protocol and Repeat Testing
Officials added that, as per protocol, a repeat test will also be conducted while awaiting the first set of reports from NIV Pune.
Global Ebola Alert and Karnataka Advisory
This case comes amid heightened global concern over Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa. The World Health Organization declared the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC) on May 17. Following this alert, the Karnataka health department issued an advisory on Friday, asking people returning from Ebola-affected countries to undergo self-monitoring and health observation for 21 days after arrival. The department urged travellers developing symptoms to immediately report to the nearest health facility, while Rapid Response Teams will carry out surveillance and contact-tracing measures if needed.
Preparedness Measures in Karnataka
As part of preparedness, Bengaluru’s Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases has been identified as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Indiranagar is designated as the quarantine and treatment facility. In Mangaluru, Srinivas Port Hospital under the New Mangalore Port Authority serves as the quarantine centre, and Wenlock District Hospital functions as the designated isolation and treatment facility.
(With PTI inputs)
