Jaipur: A suspected case of Ebola virus disease has been reported in Rajasthan after a foreign national from Uganda, visiting the State, exhibited Ebola-like symptoms.
According to the information received, the woman arrived in Jaipur from Sharjah on Friday morning and was flagged during routine airport screening after showing symptoms consistent with Ebola virus disease. The development prompted health authorities to activate precautionary protocols while laboratory confirmation is awaited.
She was subsequently admitted to RUHS Hospital and placed under strict isolation. Samples collected from the woman are being sent to a specialised laboratory in Pune for testing, ANI reported.
Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) superintendent Anil Gupta said that the virus has not yet been confirmed. “The infection can only be confirmed once the report is received. The report is expected by this evening or tomorrow morning.”
Amidst the rapidly growing cases of Ebola, the Central government has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Congo, Uganda and South Sudan as these countries have been assessed to be at high risk of disease transmission.
Ebola disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo virus strain of the Ebola virus. It is a serious illness with a high mortality rate. At present, no vaccines or specific treatments have been approved to prevent or treat Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
India has not reported any case of Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain yet.
