Ebola Scare in Hyderabad: One Sudanese National Tests Negative, Second Awaiting Results, ETHealthworld
Hyderabad: One of the two Sudanese nationals admitted to the state-run Gandhi Hospital here with complaints of fever tested negative for Ebola, officials said on Friday.
The 35-year-old man, who arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Thursday, was shifted to the isolation ward of Gandhi Hospital for further tests after he was found to have a fever during thermal screening at the airport.
He tested negative for Ebola, an official told PTI on Friday night.
He had come to Hyderabad for knee surgery. He had no fever as of Friday morning and was asymptomatic, officials said earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, the test report of another Sudanese national, a student in his 20s, was awaited. He was referred to Gandhi Hospital on Thursday evening from a private healthcare facility.
The student’s condition had improved, and he had no fever on Friday morning. His attendant was advised to remain in home isolation.
The Telangana government has set up a special 10-bed isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital for suspected Ebola cases.
Last month, Hyderabad airport issued an advisory stating that it was implementing enhanced public health preparedness measures in accordance with 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 the Congo (DRC), and neighbouring high-risk areas. Passengers from these regions may be required to complete a Self-Declaration Form (SDF) before deboarding, it said.
According to the WHO, Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease affecting 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 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.
