Hyderabad: A suspected Ebola case has triggered a health alert at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad on Thursday, June 4, after a passenger arriving from Ethiopia was identified during routine screening and moved to isolation.
According to airport health officials, the passenger arrived in Hyderabad in the early hours of June 4 on a flight from Ethiopia. He was flagged during thermal screening after being found to have a fever and a travel history involving Uganda and South Sudan, following which Ebola-related precautionary protocols were initiated.
According to Hyderabad airport health officials, the passenger was flagged during thermal screening after being found to have a fever and a recent travel history that warranted additional scrutiny. As a precaution, he was isolated and transferred to Gandhi Hospital for further evaluation within an hour of arrival.
Samples have reportedly been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing. Authorities are awaiting official confirmation of the diagnosis.
Officials said the passenger arrived on a flight from Ethiopia. Although the flight was largely empty, details of fellow passengers have been collected and they are being tracked as a precautionary measure.
“At present, this remains a suspected case. The passenger had fever for the past few days and a relevant travel history, following which standard screening protocols were initiated. He was isolated immediately and all precautionary measures have been taken,” a Hyderabad Airport Health Officer said.
They added that further details regarding the passenger and the flight cannot be disclosed at this stage.
The state-run Gandhi Hospital here has set up an Ebola Isolation Centre to keep the suspected patient under observation and conduct further tests.
Last month, Hyderabad Airport said in an advisory that it was implementing enhanced public health preparedness measures in accordance with the latest directives issued by 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 neighboring 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.
