Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 22: Karnataka has gone on high alert following the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in parts of Africa, with the state government issuing detailed precautionary guidelines and activating emergency preparedness measures across Karnataka.
The heightened alert comes days after the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17 declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC), triggering global concern over possible cross-border transmission.
While no Ebola cases have been reported in India or Karnataka so far, the state health and family welfare department said precautionary measures were essential in view of increasing international travel and trade connectivity.
Tight surveillance at airports and entry points
As part of its preventive strategy, the government has intensified health screening and surveillance at airports and other points of entry across the state to prevent any possible import of the infection.
Travellers arriving from Ebola-affected countries, particularly the DRC and Uganda, have been instructed to remain under health department monitoring for a minimum of 21 days. Officials said anyone developing symptoms during the monitoring period must immediately report to the nearest health facility.
Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have already been activated and kept on standby to respond to any suspected cases or emergencies.
Symptoms and spread of Ebola
Health officials described Ebola as a severe and highly dangerous viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or organs of infected individuals. The infection can also spread through contaminated clothing, bedding and syringes.
Frontline healthcare workers and family members caring for infected patients are considered particularly vulnerable to transmission.
The key symptoms include:
- High fever and severe headache
- Muscle pain and sore throat
- Vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain
- Skin rashes and redness in the eyes
According to WHO, the present outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatment options available.
Isolation and quarantine hospitals identified
To strengthen emergency preparedness, the Karnataka government has designated specialised facilities in Bengaluru and Mangaluru for isolation, quarantine and treatment of suspected Ebola cases.
In Bengaluru, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) has been identified as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital has been earmarked as the quarantine facility.
In Mangaluru, dedicated treatment arrangements have been made at Srinivas Port Hospital (NMPA) and Wenlock District Hospital.
The government also stated that samples from suspected patients in Karnataka would first be routed through the National Institute of Virology (NIV) unit in Bengaluru before being sent to the main NIV laboratory in Pune for final testing and confirmation.
Government appeals against panic
Amid growing international concern over the outbreak, the Karnataka health department urged the public not to panic unnecessarily and appealed to citizens to rely only on official advisories and verified information released by government and health authorities.
WHO has warned that the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa continues to pose a serious public health risk due to increasing suspected cases and the possibility of wider regional spread.