Two Ebola Suspects Isolated at Gandhi General Hospital After Fever Detection
The doctors said the traveller has not reported symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea. Doctors are also trying to obtain detailed medical and travel information from the patient, who is not fluent in English, and translators are being arranged to facilitate communication
Hyderabad: Two individuals with fever and travel histories linked to Ebola high-risk countries were admitted to the isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital, the state’s designated Ebola nodal centre, on Thursday.
The first case involves a traveller from Sudan, who had reportedly travelled to Uganda a few weeks ago, and subsequently arrived in Hyderabad, according to officials from the Airport Health Organisation (APHO).
The passenger was flagged during thermal screening at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in the early hours of Thursday after recording a body temperature of 100°F. He was immediately shifted by ambulance to Gandhi Hospital for observation and testing.
In the second case, a student from KL University in Vijayawada, who had been admitted to Apollo Hospitals, Nanakramguda, with symptoms of Yellow Fever and was under quarantine, developed fever on the fifth day of observation. He was subsequently shifted to Gandhi Hospital for further monitoring and investigation.
Dr N. Vani, the superintendent of Gandhi Hospital, confirmed that both individuals were being monitored in the isolation ward. "There are two patients in the isolation ward right now, and we are monitoring them," she told Deccan Chronicle.
Four samples — two blood samples, one urine sample and a throat swab — of the Sudanese traveller were sent to the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad for testing. Officials said that if the results are inconclusive or borderline, the samples will be forwarded to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for further examination. Samples from the second patient are yet to be sent for testing.
An APHO official said the Sudanese traveller had informed authorities that he had been experiencing fever for the past four days. Health officials coordinated with the state's public health department and ensured his immediate transfer to the designated facility. "The patient travelled alone and was shifted to isolation immediately after screening," the official said.
Dr Vamshi, the in-charge of the Ebola ward at Gandhi General Hospital, said the Sudanese traveller is not currently exhibiting symptoms commonly associated with Ebola, such as vomiting or diarrhoea. However, in view of alerts issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the ministry of health and family welfare regarding travellers arriving from Ebola-affected regions, he has been placed under isolation.
“The patient is under observation in the isolation ward. Investigations have begun and samples have been sent for testing. The timeline for receiving the results is not yet known," Dr Vamshi said.
Doctors said efforts are also being made to obtain detailed medical and travel information from the traveller, who is not fluent in English. Translators are being arranged to facilitate communication.
Officials said that if the test results are negative, the patients will be advised to continue home isolation and monitoring. If any infection is confirmed, treatment will be initiated as per established medical protocols.
Earlier this week, health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha stated that 58 travellers from Ebola-affected countries had arrived in Hyderabad. None had shown symptoms at the time of arrival, and all were placed under Category-I surveillance and 21-day home isolation as a precautionary measure.
