NEW DELHI: As the World Health Organization on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Indian health experts said there is no reason for panic as Ebola does not spread like Covid-19, though vigilance and early detection remain crucial.Health ministry officials said no Ebola case has ever been reported in India except one international traveller who was tested positive in 2014. the National Centre for Disease Control is closely monitoring the situation.Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids, blood, vomit, secretions or contaminated material, unlike Covid-19 which spreads through routine droplet transmission.“There is no need to panic,” Guleria said, adding that Ebola requires close physical contact for transmission and is therefore unlikely to trigger a pandemic like Covid-19.Recalling India’s preparedness during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Guleria said authorities had conducted workshops and screening exercises across the country. He also referred to an Indian traveller returning from Sierra Leone who was isolated in Delhi after recovering from Ebola because body fluid samples tested positive for viral particles. The person remained under isolation for nearly three months as a precautionary measure, though no transmission occurred.Guleria said Ebola outbreaks are often linked to infected fruit bats or wild animals and can also spread during the handling of infected bodies. He stressed that screening travellers from affected regions and monitoring them during the incubation period of up to 21 days remain critical.Experts said India has the laboratory capacity to rapidly detect Ebola through specialised RT-PCR testing at designated centres under the Indian Council of Medical Research and NCDC, though early clinical suspicion and quick reporting remain essential.“The overall risk remains low, but in today’s interconnected world, infectious outbreaks are literally just a flight away,” Dr Neeraj Nischal, Prof of medicine at AIIMS, said, underlining the importance of airport surveillance, travel screening and emergency response systems.He said Ebola patients generally become infectious only after symptoms begin, particularly when fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding develops. Healthcare workers and caregivers are at greater risk without adequate protective equipment and infection-control practices.Nischal added that early Ebola symptoms can resemble other febrile or viral illnesses, making travel and exposure history crucial for diagnosis. He said contact tracing remains one of the most effective ways to stop transmission and noted that lessons from Covid-19 — including surveillance, rapid testing and hospital preparedness — have strengthened India’s outbreak response capacity.“Public cooperation, honest reporting of travel history and timely medical consultation are key to preventing outbreaks from escalating,” he said.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosKolkata: Protest Against Demolition Drive Turns Violent In Park Circus, 3 Cops InjuredPM Modi Gets Bengali-Style Welcome In Sweden’s Gothenburg | WatchVD Satheesan Announces Kerala Cabinet Ahead Of Oath, IUML To Get 5 PostsWhy PM Modi Visited Afsluitdijk Dam In Netherlands: The Dutch Model India NeedsBhojshala Row Intensifies As Congress MP Digvijaya Singh Calls High Court Verdict “Vague”‘Lack Of Understanding About India’: MEA Hits Back At Dutch PM’s Remarks On MinoritiesIndia-Bound LPG Carrier Reaches Gujarat Safely After Crossing Strait Of HormuzIndia’s First Captagon Seizure: NCB Busts Rs 182 Cr Int’l Drug Network, Syrian National ArrestedBhagwant Mann’s Remarks On PM Modi’s Foreign Visits Trigger BJP CounterattackRajinikanth Breaks Silence On Vijay Government, Rejects Political Speculation Over Stalin Meeting123PhotostoriesChristina Applegate, Selma Blair, and other Hollywood celebrities who have Multiple SclerosisAmit Shah says this Indian brand’s sugar-free chocolate is bestseller in India: 5 benefits of consuming chocolatesFeeling bloated or full too quickly? 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NEW DELHI: As the World Health Organization on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Indian health experts said there is no reason for panic as Ebola does not spread like Covid-19, though vigilance and early detection remain crucial.Health ministry officials said no Ebola case has ever been reported in India except one international traveller who was tested positive in 2014. the National Centre for Disease Control is closely monitoring the situation.Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids, blood, vomit, secretions or contaminated material, unlike Covid-19 which spreads through routine droplet transmission.“There is no need to panic,” Guleria said, adding that Ebola requires close physical contact for transmission and is therefore unlikely to trigger a pandemic like Covid-19.Recalling India’s preparedness during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, Guleria said authorities had conducted workshops and screening exercises across the country. He also referred to an Indian traveller returning from Sierra Leone who was isolated in Delhi after recovering from Ebola because body fluid samples tested positive for viral particles. The person remained under isolation for nearly three months as a precautionary measure, though no transmission occurred.Guleria said Ebola outbreaks are often linked to infected fruit bats or wild animals and can also spread during the handling of infected bodies. He stressed that screening travellers from affected regions and monitoring them during the incubation period of up to 21 days remain critical.Experts said India has the laboratory capacity to rapidly detect Ebola through specialised RT-PCR testing at designated centres under the Indian Council of Medical Research and NCDC, though early clinical suspicion and quick reporting remain essential.“The overall risk remains low, but in today’s interconnected world, infectious outbreaks are literally just a flight away,” Dr Neeraj Nischal, Prof of medicine at AIIMS, said, underlining the importance of airport surveillance, travel screening and emergency response systems.He said Ebola patients generally become infectious only after symptoms begin, particularly when fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding develops. Healthcare workers and caregivers are at greater risk without adequate protective equipment and infection-control practices.Nischal added that early Ebola symptoms can resemble other febrile or viral illnesses, making travel and exposure history crucial for diagnosis. He said contact tracing remains one of the most effective ways to stop transmission and noted that lessons from Covid-19 — including surveillance, rapid testing and hospital preparedness — have strengthened India’s outbreak response capacity.“Public cooperation, honest reporting of travel history and timely medical consultation are key to preventing outbreaks from escalating,” he said.
