India issues advisory for passengers travelling from Ebola-affected countries

In an effort to curb the spread of Ebola disease in India, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has issued a health advisory for passengers travelling from Ebola-affected countries. 

Passengers travelling from countries reporting Ebola virus cases – the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan – who develop symptoms within 21 days of arrival should immediately seek medical care and inform airport authorities about their travel history. The advisory asks to watch out for the development of symptoms like fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat, or unexplained bleeding and report at the earliest. 

Further to this, any passenger who had direct contact with blood or body fluids of a suspected/confirmed person with Ebola disease must immediately inform the airport health desk before immigration clearance. 

“The passengers are requested to cooperate with health screening and public health measures being taken in the interest of passenger safety and International Health Regulations (IHR),” the advisory read. 

After the Ebola outbreak was declared a matter of public health concern, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare chaired a meeting on Wednesday to assess the preparedness and measures taken to prevent the outbreak in India.  As of now, there are no positive cases of Ebola reported in the country and the department is taking proactive surveillance measures to further ensure the safety of citizens.