Woman, returning from South Sudan, isolated in Kerala over suspected Ebola infection
A woman who recently returned from South Sudan has been admitted to an isolation ward at Kottayam Medical College in Kerala after developing symptoms that
A woman who recently returned from South Sudan has been admitted to an isolation ward at Kottayam Medical College in Kerala after developing symptoms that prompted health authorities to test her for Ebola, officials said on Thursday. The woman had approached a private hospital with a fever on Wednesday. Given her recent travel history from the African nation, the hospital alerted the state Health Department, which shifted her to Kottayam Medical College for further evaluation and testing.
Read Full Story Kerala Health Minister K Muraleedharan said there was no immediate cause for concern based on the preliminary assessment, though test results were still awaited. "The patient suspected of having Ebola was shifted to the isolation ward at Kottayam Medical College as soon as symptoms were noticed. The test results have not yet been received. However, according to the Medical Superintendent, there is no immediate cause for concern based on the preliminary assessment," the minister said.
Officials said blood samples had been collected and sent to a laboratory to determine whether the woman had contracted the Ebola virus. The results are expected later in the day. As a precautionary measure, health authorities have prepared a contact list and initiated monitoring protocols. The woman remains under observation in a dedicated isolation ward at the medical college. The case comes amid heightened vigilance by the Kerala Health Department over Ebola cases reported abroad. The state had already issued an alert to hospitals and directed increased monitoring of travellers arriving from African countries.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals and can cause fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. Health officials stressed that the suspected case remains under investigation and urged the public not to panic while awaiting the test results. Ends With PTI inputs
The BriefWire