Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday issued a health advisory for passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
Airport authorities asked travellers to immediately contact the airport health desk if they experience symptoms linked to Ebola. These symptoms include fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat and unusual bleeding.
Officials also advised passengers who believe they may have come into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person to inform health authorities before completing immigration clearance.
Passengers told to report symptoms within 21 days
The advisory further warned travellers to remain alert even after leaving the airport.
“The health department also stated that if such symptoms develop within 21 days of travel, passengers should seek immediate medical assistance and share their travel history. Travellers have also been requested to cooperate with health screenings and safety measures at the airport,” the advisory stated.
Authorities have strengthened health checks and screening measures at the airport as a precautionary step.
Government says no Ebola cases reported in India
Meanwhile, the central government said India has not reported any Ebola cases so far. Officials stated that the overall risk to the country remains “minimal.”
However, authorities have increased surveillance and preparedness measures after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in parts of Central Africa a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
Senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with teams from the National Centre for Disease Control, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme and Indian Council of Medical Research, reviewed the latest Ebola situation.
Officials discussed the outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
“The government continues to maintain close coordination with international health authorities and will take all necessary measures to safeguard public health,” an official told NDTV.
WHO says Ebola risk remains high in Central Africa
The World Health Organization on Wednesday said the Ebola outbreak poses a high regional risk in Central Africa, although the global risk remains low. The UN health agency also warned that the virus may have been spreading for months before authorities detected the outbreak.
Over the past 50 years, Ebola outbreaks have killed more than 15,000 people across Africa. The latest outbreak marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Authorities suspect it has already caused 139 deaths from nearly 600 probable cases.
“We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.