Delhi Airport Issues Public Health Advisory Over African Ebola Outbreak

New Delhi (IANS): Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a public health advisory on Thursday for passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries. The airport authorities are directing any travellers showing symptoms of the disease to report immediately to airport health officials.

Delhi Airport shared the health information advisory on social media platform X. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), operating under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, originally issued the directive.

The new rules target passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently identifies these three nations as high-risk zones.

The advisory instructs travellers to report to the Airport Health Officer or the health desk before immigration clearance if they experience symptoms like fever, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, diarrhoea, headache, unexplained bleeding, muscle pain, or a sore throat.

Passengers must inform airport health authorities if they have had direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a suspected or confirmed Ebola patient.

The DGHS also warned travellers that if they develop symptoms within 21 days of arrival, they must seek immediate medical care and explicitly disclose their recent travel history to doctors.

Delhi Airport officials urged passengers to cooperate with health screening and public health measures to ensure passenger safety and comply with International Health Regulations (IHR).

The advisory comes amid sharpening global vigilance over fresh Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa.

The DRC has already recorded 543 suspected cases and 136 deaths in its latest outbreak. DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba stated on Tuesday that while officials recorded these deaths within the affected regions, medical investigators are still verifying how many fatalities the virus directly caused.

Fears of international transmission are already altering travel routes elsewhere. Jordan announced a temporary ban on Wednesday, blocking entry for all travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda due to Ebola concerns.