World Health Organization has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), prompting Indian health authorities to increase monitoring while assuring the public that there is no cause for panic.
Health ministry officials said India has not reported any domestic Ebola case so far, apart from one international traveller who tested positive in 2014 after returning from West Africa. Officials added that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is closely monitoring the evolving global situation.
Randeep Guleria said Ebola differs significantly from Covid-19 because it does not spread through casual respiratory transmission.
“There is no need to panic,” Guleria stated, explaining that Ebola spreads primarily through direct contact with infected body fluids such as blood, vomit, secretions, or contaminated materials.
Unlike COVID-19, which spread rapidly through airborne droplets, Ebola transmission generally requires close physical interaction with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.
Guleria recalled India’s preparedness efforts during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when authorities organised screening operations and awareness workshops nationwide. He also referred to a case involving an Indian traveller returning from Sierra Leone who was isolated in Delhi after viral particles were detected in body fluid samples despite recovery from the disease.
The individual remained under medical isolation for nearly three months as a precaution, though no secondary transmission occurred.
Experts noted that Ebola outbreaks are often associated with infected fruit bats or wild animals and can also spread through handling infected bodies during burial practices.
Guleria stressed the importance of monitoring travellers arriving from affected regions and observing them during Ebola’s incubation period, which can extend up to 21 days.
According to experts, India currently possesses adequate laboratory infrastructure to detect Ebola infections quickly through specialised RT-PCR testing at designated facilities operated by the Indian Council of Medical Research and NCDC.
Neeraj Nischal said the overall risk to India remains low, but cautioned that global connectivity means infectious diseases can spread internationally within hours.
“The overall risk remains low, but in today’s interconnected world, infectious outbreaks are literally just a flight away,” Nischal said.
He emphasised the importance of airport surveillance, travel screening, emergency response systems, and rapid case identification.
Nischal explained that Ebola patients usually become infectious only after symptoms appear, particularly fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, or bleeding. Healthcare workers and caregivers face the highest risk if adequate protective equipment and infection-control measures are not followed.
He also noted that early Ebola symptoms can resemble other viral or febrile illnesses, making travel history and exposure details especially important for diagnosis.
Experts added that contact tracing remains one of the most effective tools to contain Ebola outbreaks and said lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic have strengthened India’s public health preparedness, including surveillance systems, rapid testing capabilities, and hospital response mechanisms.
Health experts urged the public to cooperate with authorities, report travel history honestly, and seek timely medical attention if symptoms appear after visiting affected regions.
