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29 August 2014

Ebola scare: 116 people arrive from worst-affected Liberia in Delhi and Mumbai

Durgesh Nandan Jha
Aug 27, 2014

NEW DELHI: The enormity of the Ebola outbreak hit home on Tuesday as 112 Indians and four Nepalese arrived in the country on different flights from Liberia. This West African country has seen over 600 deaths so far and is the worst affected. Till late in the night, 88 people had arrived — 71 in Mumbai and 17 in Delhi. More were on their way on different commercial flights. 

Health ministry sources said of the 17 passengers who arrived at the Delhi airport, one person has been found to have fever and sore throat which is associated with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) besides other diseases. "The passenger suspected for EVD has been quarantined at the Airport Health Organisation (APHO), a specialized health centre run by the health ministry to screen international passengers for deadly diseases. We have sent the passenger's blood sample for test," said a ministry official.

At least six others, including two women and a child, were taken to APHO for detailed health screening and officials later claimed they did not have any symptoms of the disease. In addition, five passengers from routine flights from the affected countries — Sierra Leone, Republic of Guinea and Nigeria — with symptoms of fever have been quarantined at the isolation facility at Delhi airport, said health ministry sources. 

Health ministry officials said even after being discharged from the quarantine units, passengers travelling from affected countries will be tracked for at least a month using the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). "State governments have been requested to ensure tracking and monitoring of these passengers. These passengers will be attached to the local health facility and the local authorities will ensure that they follow up with these persons on a day-to-day basis for a month," said an official. He said that 44 passengers were enrolled for follow-up in their respective states through the state IDSP units. "As on date, 773 passengers are being tracked. Most of them are in Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu," the official added.


A traveller, who was not cleared after being screened for the Ebola virus on his arrival in India, walks towards an ambulance at the international airport in New Delhi 

Sources said the 112 Indian nationals and four Nepalese were brought back by International SOS (ISOS) on the request of infrastructure company Afcons. These people belong to 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). 

The medical director, International SOS, said these persons have been screened at the time of exit from Liberia and none of the passengers had any symptoms prior to travel. 

On Tuesday, IGI airport witnessed hectic activity with passengers being rushed out of the airport and an APHO ambulance making several rounds from their office at the airport and T-3's arrival terminal. The first flight from Liberia, routed via Doha, QR564, landed at IGI at 7.40 am. The next flight — Ethiopian Airlines — came almost an hour later. Three passengers from it were rushed to APHO in an ambulance. 

The Ebola suspects were wearing a suit and face mask. Officials at the airport said the aircraft carrying the passengers was being sequestered and fumigated. "The luggage of the Ebola suspects is also being isolated," an official said. 

The scare this disease has caused was palpable inside and outside the airport. All staff inside the airport wore face masks to prevent contamination since hundreds of foreign visitors were arriving at the international terminal by the hour. 

Even between arrivals of the flights from Liberia, there was a sense of caution at the airport. Several foreign tourists were also spotted with face masks along with some visitors who had come to receive their guests.

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