Hyderabad: A suspected Ebola case has triggered a health alert at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Shamshabad on Thursday, June 4, after a passenger arriving from Ethiopia was identified during routine screening and shifted to isolation.
According to airport health officials, the passenger arrived in Hyderabad in the early hours of June 4 on a flight from Ethiopia. He was flagged during thermal screening after being found to have a fever and a travel history involving Uganda and South Sudan, following which Ebola-related precautionary protocols were initiated.
According to Hyderabad airport health officials, the passenger was flagged during thermal screening after being found to have a fever and the recent travel history that warranted additional scrutiny. As a precaution, he was isolated and transferred to Gandhi Hospital for further evaluation within an hour of arrival.
Samples have reportedly been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for testing. Authorities are awaiting official confirmation of the diagnosis.
Hyderabad airport monitoring fellow passengers
Officials said the passenger arrived on a flight from Ethiopia. Although the flight was largely empty, details of fellow passengers have been collected and they are being tracked as a precautionary measure.
“At present, this remains a suspected case. The passenger had fever for the past few days and a relevant travel history, following which standard screening protocols were initiated. He was isolated immediately and all precautionary measures have been taken,” Hyderabad Airport Health Officer told Siasat.com.
They added that further details regarding the passenger and the flight cannot be disclosed at this stage.
