Bengaluru hospital isolates Ugandan woman with Ebola-like symptoms

A 28-year-old woman from Uganda who developed Ebola-like symptoms after arriving in Bengaluru has been shifted to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital. Her samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, while health officials continue monitoring her condition

Bengaluru: Amid global Ebola scare, a 28-year-old woman from Uganda, who developed symptoms for the virus, was shifted to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital here on Tuesday, Health Department officials said.

According to the officials, the woman, who had arrived from an Ebola-affected region, was moved from a hotel to the designated hospital as a precaution after she developed mild symptoms like body ache.

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Her samples have been collected and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing, they said, adding that reports are awaited. As per protocol, a repeat test will also be conducted.

The woman’s condition is currently stable, the officials said.

Health authorities are monitoring her condition closely. Since she recently travelled from an Ebola-affected region and later developed mild symptoms like body ache, she was shifted to the Epidemic Diseases Hospital as a precautionary measure, a health department official said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreak of Ebola disease (ED) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC) on May 17.

In response to an Ebola outbreak in several African countries, the Karnataka Health Department on Friday had advised individuals who have recently travelled to affected nations to undergo health monitoring and self-observation for 21 days after their return.

The department said those developing symptoms should immediately report to the nearest health facility, while Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) will undertake surveillance activities.

In Bengaluru, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) has been identified as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital has been designated as the quarantine and treatment facility.

In Mangaluru, Srinivas Port Hospital under the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) has been identified as the quarantine centre, while Wenlock District Hospital has been designated as the isolation and treatment centre.