Gandhinagar | A businessman from Congo and three individuals who came into contact have been admitted to isolation wards at separate hospitals in Ahmedabad, and their samples have been sent for Ebola virus testing, Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said on Wednesday.
He said the 37-year-old businessman arrived in Mumbai from Congo about five to seven days ago and later travelled to Vadodara.
"After he developed a fever, he was later admitted to Banker Hospital in Vadodara," the health minister said, adding that there has been no confirmation of Ebola infection so far and there is no need to panic.
He said the businessman was immediately transferred to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he was admitted to the Ebola ward.
The admitted patient is currently stable and safe, and his temperature is under control, the minister said, adding that the people associated with the patient are not showing any symptoms.
"Two other individuals who had accompanied him have also been admitted to isolated wards at SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad as a precautionary measure. Another person who came in contact with these individuals, has also been isolated," the minister added.
These individuals will remain in isolation for 10 to 11 days, and their blood samples have been sent to Pune for testing, he said.
The World Health Organisation declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17.
In response to Ebola outbreaks in several African countries, the Gujarat Health Department is conducting intensive screening of passengers arriving from Uganda, Congo and South Sudan at Ahmedabad International Airport, and has readied isolation wards in government hospitals.
Pansheriya noted that in a similar case, an individual was isolated, and the subsequent report was negative.
"Previously, there was a similar case involving another individual who was isolated, and the report was negative. Therefore, there is no reason to panic," he said.
The minister urged the people not to believe in rumours.
"Currently, there is not a single confirmed Ebola virus case in India or Gujarat. Only as a precautionary step, we are carefully monitoring passengers arriving from those countries, especially if they show symptoms such as mild fever, cold or cough, to prevent any possible spread of infection," he said.
If there is any such issue, people should contact a health officer, the concerned hospital or the Primary Health Centres, he said.
New York | The Trump administration is planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday.
The quarantine and treatment centre being set up by the Departments of Defence, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and receive care quickly, said the official who requested anonymity to share the administration's plans.
The person said the plan would help patients avoid an hourslong medical evacuation to the US.
It wasn't immediately clear where in Kenya the new facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has signed off on the plan.
The official said the facility will be able to care for the full spectrum of Ebola, a rare but severe disease that is often fatal in people. But they said people may be transported elsewhere for more advanced care as appropriate.
Health authorities in Congo have been struggling to contain the outbreak that the World Health Organisation has said is outpacing them, after the rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola was confirmed weeks late as tests were carried out for a more common type.
The number of suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths. Congo's health ministry on Tuesday said 101 cases have been confirmed and that it is looking into over 3,000 possible contacts.
Challenges include the threat of armed groups in eastern Congo, a large number of displaced people and poor infrastructure.