Ebola outbreak: Avoid travel to affected countries, says Health Ministry

With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday issued an advisory, asking Indian citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the affected countries, including South Sudan, until further notice. However, India has not reported any case of Ebola Disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain so far.

The advisory comes after the WHO on May 17 declared the situation a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also designated the outbreak affecting the DRC and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security.

According to the advisory issued by the Indian Government on Saturday, the WHO’s IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry to “detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection” while discouraging travel to the affected regions.

Countries bordering the DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, have been assessed to be at high risk of disease transmission, the advisory said. “The Government of India advises all its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan,” it said.

Indian citizens currently residing in or travelling to these countries have been urged to strictly follow public health guidance issued by local authorities, maintain heightened hygiene precautions, avoid contact with symptomatic persons and seek immediate medical attention in case of fever or related symptoms.

Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and is known to have a high mortality rate. The advisory noted that no vaccines or specific treatments have yet been approved to prevent or treat Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo strain.

India has not reported any case of Ebola linked to the Bundibugyo strain so far, according to the advisory. The government said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the affected countries in line with the WHO recommendations.