Man tests positive for Ebola in Delhi, quarantined

Another suspected case in Rajasthan

The body fluid of a 26-year-old Indian man, who landed in Delhi from Liberia, has tested positive for Ebola virus, even as another man in Rajasthan showed Ebola-like symptoms.

The man in Delhi was admitted to a health facility in the African nation in September and treated for Ebola. He was carrying a disease-free certificate from the Liberian health ministry, claiming he underwent treatment successfully and was cured of the disease.

The infected Indian who reached Delhi on November 10 underwent the mandatory screening at the Delhi airport. His blood tested negative for the virus.

But when his body fluids were checked, his semen tested positive for Ebola in two different government laboratories in the last two days.

The tests were conducted at the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, and National Institute of Virology, Pune.

The Health Ministry plans to keep him in isolation for at least three weeks, sources told Deccan Herald.

“Though this person does not have any symptoms of the disease, he would be kept in isolation in the special health facility of Delhi Airport Health Organisation, till such time his body fluids tested negative and he is found medically fit to be discharged,” said a health ministry spokesperson.

On interview, he gave history of febrile illness for which he was admitted to a health facility in Liberia on September 11 and discharged on September 30.

The health officials in Delhi did not want to take chance as the virus may continue to be positive in secretions like urine and semen for a long time.

As such they isolated the person and conducted the tests following the protocols laid down by the World Health Organisation and Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta.

The NCDC results came on Monday whereas NIV communicated its findings to the health ministry on Tuesday. The presence of virus in his semen samples may have the possibility of transmitting the disease through sexual route up to 90 days from time of clinical cure.

“All necessary precautions are being taken at the isolation facility to rule out even the remote possibility of spread of this disease by the sexual route. The situation is under control and there is no need for any alarm,” said the spokesperson. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old man, who showed Ebola-like symptoms, was kept at an isolation ward at Sawai Man Singh Hospital here before he left for Delhi.

“The suspected patient, identified as Mohammed Rehan Khan, was suffering from fever and blisters,” Head of Medicine Department of the hospital Dr C L Naval said.