A deadly virus with a fatality rate of up to 50% has triggered emergency health measures at Kochi airport, where passengers coming in from Central and East Africa are now being subjected to strict screening, questioning, and travel history checks. Read on to know more.
Cochi Airport Triggers Ebola Virus Alert
As per a report by News18, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) and the Airport Health Organisation (APHO) have collaboratively activated a 24×7 health surveillance system at the airport, making Kochi one of the first Indian airports to implement on-ground protocols. This came in after the World Health Organisation on May 16 declared the Ebola Outbreak, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
As per the reports, the figures behind the WHO declaration are deeply alarming. As of May 20, the outbreak had already led to 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, causing WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to raise questions over the scale and speed of its spread.
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In response, international passengers arriving at Kochi airport, especially those from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan, will now undergo thermal screening, submit mandatory self-declaration forms, and provide details of their 21-day travel history.
How Dangerous Is The Ebola Virus?
The Ebola Virus is quite dangerous, especially for India, and yes, urgently so. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on May 21 issued a formal health notice for passengers arriving from or passing through DRC, Uganda and South Sudan, advising anyone with symptoms to immediately report to airport health Officials before immigration clearance.
As per reports, the Union Health Secretary led a standard evaluation of national preparedness levels, with all states and Union Territories instructed to ensure readiness at every level. Officials further explained that no Ebola case has been detected in India so far.
Authorities at the Kochi summit flagged a critical gap: among the five known Ebola species, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus strain driving this outbreak.
This is DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976, and a severe four-week detection gap between the index case’s disease onset and laboratory verification suggests the virus went unnoticed far longer than it should have.
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We just hope everyone stays safe.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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FAQs
What caused the Ebola outbreak?
The virus is believed to have originated when humans came into direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected wild animals or fruit bats, which are the natural reservoirs for the virus.