Ebola Alert: Disclose tour history, says doctors

Hyderabad: Recent travel history must be freely disclosed by people if they are suffering from fever, headaches, sore throat and body pain, urge medical experts. They say this would help control the Ebola virus, which has claimed 887 lives in four African countries.

Control rooms have been set up at Gandhi Hospital in Telangana and Chest Hospital in Visakhapatnam of AP to monitor possible cases. There are four teams surveying the situation at the airport and among train and bus travellers. The ports in the Andhra region are also being surveyed. Dr K. Narsimulu, professor of medicine at Gandhi Hospital, has been appointed the nodal officer in Telangana to monitor cases. Dr Narsimulu said, “So far, not a single case has tested positive in India. But we are educating healthcare workers and doctors as they have to be very careful in dealing with any suspected cases.

The disease spreads through contact and if that is properly controlled, the virus can’t spread.” The disease is known to spread faster in hospitals hence awareness is important. For the layman, it is important that when they meet a person, who is suffering from the above symptoms, they must avoid contact. Dr Geeta Prasadani, additional director of the Andhra Pradesh region, said, “We are trying to educate people that this disease spreads through touch. If people find someone is sick, they must be extra careful.”

Washing hands after touching a suspected patient or coming in contact with an ill person is recommendation for prevention,” said Dr Narsimulu.  Kits for testing the virus have been kept in the nodal centres to ensure that it is quickly detected and there is immediate response.

A Rapid Response Team has also been set up in both the units so that there can be proper surveillance and also isolation of the patient to ensure that the virus does not spread.