Bhubaneswar: India has issued a travel advisory asking citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan following the worsening Ebola outbreak in central Africa.
The advisory was issued after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified the outbreak as a global public health emergency amid rising infections and fatalities linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
According to reports, the outbreak has already claimed 216 lives, while the total number of suspected and confirmed cases has reached 968 across affected regions.
Health experts have expressed serious concern because the Bundibugyo strain currently has no fully approved vaccine or specific treatment, making containment and surveillance efforts critically important.
In response to the evolving situation, Indian authorities have intensified health screening and surveillance measures at major international airports, including Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Travellers arriving from high-risk African regions are being subjected to thermal screening, health monitoring, and mandatory self-observation protocols for 21 days, which is considered the maximum incubation period for Ebola virus disease.
Officials said isolation facilities and rapid-response medical systems have also been activated to immediately handle any suspected Ebola cases detected in the country.
The Union health authorities have instructed airport officials, hospitals, and state surveillance units to remain on high alert and ensure strict compliance with international health safety protocols.
Ebola virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. Symptoms may include fever, weakness, vomiting, bleeding, and organ complications.
Public health experts have emphasized that early detection, isolation, contact tracing, and strict infection-control measures remain the most effective tools for preventing large-scale transmission.
-OdishaAge
