Six in Ebola home quarantine after returning from Congo, Uganda

Kolkata: Six flyers who have returned from Ebola-hit nations over the past week have been sent to home quarantine for 21 days under advice of Kolkata airport authorities, with state health dept officials following up on a daily basis to check if they have developed any of the Ebola symptoms.

According to sources, the six flyers who have declared in the self-declaration forms to have visited either Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or Uganda in recent weeks before coming to Kolkata, were introduced to state health dept officials who have made it mandatory for them to stay in home quarantine for three weeks.

The health dept, however, clarified, so far there has been not a single case of Ebola virus in the state or in the country yet.

An official at airport said the Covid-like quarantine followed an SOP issued by the Union health ministry to detect possible Ebola infection and prevent its spread.

The action followed a self-declaration by flyers on arrival and immigration checks on the countries recently visited by them.

“There are three categories of actions that have been recommended. If a person has visited DRC, Uganda or South Sudan recently but believes that they have not come in contact with an Ebola patient, they are to stay in home quarantine for three weeks with state health dept following up on their health condition on a daily basis. In the second category, if a passenger suspects he or she came in contact, direct or indirect, with an Ebola case, then the person will be quarantined at the airport for three weeks. If, however, the individual shows symptoms of Ebola, the person will be sent to the ID Hospital,” the official said.

Kolkata has no direct flights to any of these nations. However, one can reach Kolkata via popular transit airports like Bangkok or Dubai.

Ebola symptoms typically appear suddenly 2 to 21 days after exposure (averaging 8 to 10 days). The illness progresses in distinct phases, shifting from initial flu-like indicators to severe gastrointestinal distress and, in some cases, uncontrolled internal and external bleeding.

The Indian govt has reviewed SOPs related to screening, quarantine, case management and laboratory preparedness as part of the Ebola response. The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has been designated as a major Ebola testing centre.

Health officials emphasised that early reporting of symptoms is critical for timely medical intervention and can help prevent the spread of infection. “Early reporting can save lives and help prevent the spread of disease,” the ministry said in a statement.