NEW DELHI: The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as of Sunday. Indian health experts have reassured the public that there is no cause for panic, emphasizing that Ebola does not spread in the same manner as COVID-19. However, they stress the importance of vigilance and early detection.
According to health ministry officials, India has not reported any cases of Ebola, with the exception of an international traveler who tested positive in 2014. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is actively monitoring the situation.
Dr. Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS, explained that Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, blood, vomit, secretions, or contaminated materials, in contrast to COVID-19, which spreads via droplet transmission. “There is no need to panic,” Dr. Guleria stated, underscoring that Ebola requires close physical contact for transmission, thus making a widespread pandemic unlikely.
Dr. Guleria recalled India’s preparedness during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, which included workshops and screening exercises nationwide. He referenced the case of an Indian traveler returning from Sierra Leone who was isolated in Delhi after testing positive for viral particles, though he did not transmit the virus after nearly three months of isolation.
He noted that Ebola outbreaks are often associated with infected fruit bats or wild animals and can also spread during the handling of infected bodies. Screening travelers from affected areas and monitoring them for up to 21 days post-exposure remains critical.
Experts indicated that India has the laboratory capacity to promptly detect Ebola through specialized RT-PCR testing available at designated centers under the Indian Council of Medical Research and NCDC, emphasizing that early clinical suspicion and quick reporting are crucial.
Dr. Neeraj Nischal, a professor of medicine at AIIMS, remarked that while the overall risk remains low, infectious outbreaks are easily transmissible across borders in today’s interconnected world, highlighting the need for airport surveillance and emergency response systems. He pointed out that Ebola patients typically become infectious only after developing symptoms, such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or bleeding.
Healthcare workers and caregivers face heightened risk if they lack adequate protective equipment and infection-control practices. Dr. Nischal added that early symptoms of Ebola can resemble those of other viral illnesses, making travel and exposure history vital for accurate diagnosis. He emphasized that effective contact tracing is crucial for halting transmission and noted that India’s response capacity has been bolstered by lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, including improved surveillance, rapid testing, and hospital preparedness.
“Public cooperation, honest reporting of travel history, and timely medical consultation are key to preventing outbreaks from escalating,” Dr. Nischal concluded.
