BENGALURU, India- Health authorities in India are on high alert after a suspected Ebola case was reported in Bengaluru involving a 28-year-old woman who recently returned from Uganda, where an outbreak of the deadly virus has raised international concern.
According to Indian media reports, the woman developed mild symptoms, including body aches, shortly after arriving in Bengaluru from Uganda and was initially staying at a hotel before being transferred to the State-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital as a precautionary measure.
Authorities said samples from the patient were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing, with results expected on Wednesday.
Officials emphasized that the case remains only a suspected infection and that no Ebola case has so far been confirmed in India.
“The patient is stable and under observation. This is only a precautionary measure until laboratory results are received,” a health official told local media.
The suspected case comes amid growing global concern over the Ebola outbreak affecting Uganda and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The World Health Organization has already classified the outbreak as a high-risk public health emergency due to fears of cross-border spread.
India’s health authorities have reportedly intensified surveillance measures at airports and hospitals, especially for travelers arriving from Ebola-affected countries in East and Central Africa.
The Karnataka Health Department has also begun contact tracing and monitoring individuals who may have interacted with the woman after her arrival in Bengaluru.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. Symptoms typically include fever, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleeding in severe cases.
The latest suspected case is expected to heighten international anxiety as several countries tighten screening and travel restrictions linked to the ongoing outbreak in Africa.
