Ebola alert: No confirmed case in India; first suspected case in Gujarat; Uganda returnee under isolation in Nagpur

After an Ugandan woman tested negative for Ebola in Bengaluru, a suspected case of the viral infection was reportedly detected in Gujarat and a man has been put under home isolation in Maharashtra's Nagpur.

According to NDTV, authorities in Nagpur placed a 47-year-old man, who returned from Uganda, under 21-day home isolation.

Officials told the media outlet that the man has not shown any symptoms of Ebola so far, but the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) health department is closely monitoring his health around the clock.

The individual claimed that he did not come into contact with any Ebola patient during his stay in Uganda. However, as per health protocols, a medical team will regularly check his condition during the isolation period, NDTV reported.

If the man shows any symptoms, arrangements have been made to immediately shift him to a hospital. As per the report, authorities prepared a dedicated isolation ward at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Nagpur.

Gujarat minister Praful Panseria told IANS, “Yesterday, a suspected case was reported in Vadodara. The person was living in Congo. For business purposes, he came to Mumbai and then to Vadodara. He is suffering from fever and cold."

He clarified that "Ebola has not been confirmed yet."

"In fact, there is no case in the whole country. For safety, he has been quarantined along with his two friends, and there is no need to worry," Panseria said.

He added, "We are following the Centre’s guidelines. We have started extra wards in Ahmedabad and Surat Civil Hospitals. Training has also been given to the staff."

"The suspected Ebola case reported in the state has tested negative following laboratory examination. Health authorities have confirmed that the individual is not infected with the Ebola virus," the state health minister said in a post on X.

According to officials, the woman, who had arrived from an Ebola-affected region, was moved from a hotel to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Bengaluru on Tuesday after she developed mild symptoms such as body aches, PTI reported.

"All required medical protocols and precautionary measures were strictly followed in accordance with established public health guidelines," he added.

Rao said the Karnataka Health Department continues to closely monitor the situation and remains fully prepared to take all necessary measures in the interest of public health and safety.

"Citizens are advised not to panic, to follow prescribed health guidelines, and to rely only on official information and advisories issued by the government and health department," he added.

While the suspected case in Karnataka tested negative for Ebola, the man put in isolation in Nagpur has not shown any symptoms. Meanwhile, the man who came to Gujarat from Congo was detected with few Ebola symptoms.

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.

According to the WHO website, Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

The virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates) and then spreads within the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people, as well as with surfaces and materials (example: bedding and clothing) contaminated with these fluids, it said.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is monitoring the evolving Ebola situation following the recent outbreak reported in parts of Africa, while officials said that no case of the Ebola virus has been confirmed in India so far.