A suspected Ebola case in Bengaluru involving a Ugandan national triggered health alerts in India as WHO warned of a worsening Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda.
New Delhi/Imphal, May 27: Indian health authorities on Wednesday intensified monitoring measures after a woman visiting from Uganda was isolated in Bengaluru over a suspected Ebola infection amid a worsening outbreak in Central Africa.
According to multiple reports published in the last 24 hours, the woman, a 28-year-old Ugandan national who arrived at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, was shifted to the state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital after showing symptoms associated with Ebola virus disease. Samples were sent for testing as a precautionary measure.
Later on Wednesday, reports quoting the National Institute of Virology (NIV) said the woman’s sample had tested negative for Ebola. Authorities, however, continued observation and health screening protocols. Karnataka health authorities urged the public not to panic and stated that isolation and testing were part of standard precautionary measures due to the international Ebola alert.
The suspected case emerged as the World Health Organization and global health agencies raised concerns over the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
In a major update on Wednesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an immediate ceasefire in eastern Congo, warning that armed conflict and insecurity were severely disrupting Ebola containment operations.
According to Reuters and WHO-linked updates issued over the past 24 hours, the outbreak has crossed around 900 suspected cases in Congo, with more than 220 suspected deaths reported. Uganda has confirmed several cross-border infections, including cases involving healthcare workers.
WHO said the Bundibugyo strain presents an added challenge because there is currently no approved vaccine or virus-specific treatment available for this variant. Uganda has meanwhile tightened border restrictions with Congo following the rise in infections near the frontier. The WHO had earlier declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), citing risks of further international spread.
The Bengaluru incident has prompted renewed focus on India’s preparedness measures. Health authorities have maintained enhanced screening and monitoring of international passengers arriving from affected African countries. Airport surveillance systems and isolation protocols remain active at major international airports.
Officials have stated that no confirmed Ebola case has been detected in India so far. The suspected Bengaluru case nevertheless triggered a coordinated response involving Karnataka health authorities and central disease surveillance agencies.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding in severe cases.
Public health experts say India’s immediate isolation and testing response reflects lessons learned from previous global infectious disease emergencies and aims to prevent any possibility of local transmission.
