Risk of Ebola transmission in India

Indian Nationals working in Liberia being brought back by M/s Afcons

66 passengers have landed in Mumbai and 13 in Delhi; all screened for Ebola and found healthy. 

No passenger isolated

112 Indian Nationals and four Nepalese Nationals working with M/s Afcons in Liberia are being brought back by International SOS (ISOS) Organization on the request of M/s Afcons. These persons belong to the States of Delhi (4), Maharashtra (54), West Bengal (12), Bihar (10), Uttar Pradesh (7), Tamil Nadu (5), Andhra Pradesh (4), Kerala (3), Odisha (3), Gujarat (3), Karnataka (2), Haryana (2), Punjab (2), Jharkhand (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Uttarakhand (1), Rajasthan (1) and Himachal Pradesh (1).

Medical Director, International SOS has also informed that these persons have been screened at the time of exit from Liberia and none of the evacuees had any symptoms prior to travel.

Senior officers of the Ministry have been pre-positioned at Mumbai and Delhi Airport to monitor the screening of these passengers from Liberia. 66 passengers have already landed in Mumbai and 13 in Delhi. They have all been screened and found healthy. No passenger has been isolated. Rest of the persons are expected to reach late in the evening.

Even though developed countries are not screening passengers arriving from Ebola affected countries, as a matter of abundant caution, screening for passengers from affected countries have been put into practice by Government of India. As per the guidelines, the high risk category: those with symptoms are isolated at the airport; medium risk category : those giving history of contact with an Ebola case are prioritized for active surveillance and low risk category : those without symptoms and without any contact history are informed about helpline numbers to be contacted in case they developing symptoms subsequently. The State Governments have been requested to do rigorous tracking and monitoring of these passengers. The concerned States have been alerted for follow up of these passengers on daily basis.

No case of Ebola Virus Disease has been detected in India. It is reiterated that it is not an airborne infection (not spread through the air you breathe). A person has to come in very close contact with the blood and body fluids of an Ebola Patient to acquire this infection.