HYDERABAD: A second Sudanese national arriving in Hyderabad from Uganda was admitted to the Ebola isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital in the early hours of Friday, taking the number of individuals currently under observation to two. According to the Airport Public Health Officer (APHO), the 23-year-old traveller arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in the early hours of Friday and was initially placed under quarantine as part of yellow fever surveillance protocols. Another Sudanese national who arrived in Hyderabad from Uganda with fever was shifted to the Ebola isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital in the early hours of Friday, taking the number of individuals currently under observation to two. According to the Airport Health Officer (APHO), the 23-year-old traveller had arrived at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in the early hours of Friday and was initially placed under quarantine as part of yellow fever surveillance protocols. “He developed a fever during the quarantine period and was shifted to Gandhi Hospital for isolation and further evaluation because of his recent travel history from Uganda, a high-risk country under Ebola surveillance.” Clarifying reports of a suspected Ebola case, Gandhi Hospital Superintendent Dr N Vani said the patient has not been classified as an Ebola suspect. “Since he developed fever after arrival, he was shifted to Gandhi Hospital as a precautionary measure for observation and testing. The patient’s attendant was also admitted to the isolation ward initially but was later discharged after being found stable,” she added. Dr Vamshee Krishna, nodal officer for Gandhi Hospital’s isolation ward, said oral and nasal swab samples have been collected and sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for testing. Results are expected within 48 hours. If the reports are negative and the patient remains clinically stable, he may be discharged and advised home quarantine, officials said. The latest admission comes a day after another Sudanese national travelling to Hyderabad for medical treatment was admitted to Gandhi Hospital after being flagged during thermal screening at RGIA with a temperature of 100°F. Both individuals are reported to be clinically stable. Gandhi Hospital has been designated as Telangana’s nodal centre for Ebola preparedness and has established a dedicated facility comprising 10 isolated rooms with attached bathrooms and 15 quarantine beds. Enhanced screening and thermal scanning of passengers arriving from African countries, including Uganda, Congo and South Sudan, are currently underway at RGIA. Earlier this week, Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said that 58 travellers from Ebola-affected countries had arrived in Hyderabad. None showed symptoms of the disease and all were placed under Category-I surveillance and advised 21-day home isolation as a precautionary measure.
