Suspected Ebola case in Karnataka tests negative, says Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao
Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Wednesday said that the suspected Ebola case reported in the state has tested negative following laboratory examination, as he assured the people that there is no cause for panic.
In a statement, the Health Minister said that health authorities had confirmed that the individual was not infected with the Ebola virus after detailed testing and medical evaluation.
“The suspected Ebola case reported in the state has tested negative following laboratory examination. Health authorities have confirmed that the individual is not infected with the Ebola virus,” Dinesh Gundu Rao stated.
All necessary medical protocols and precautionary measures were strictly implemented in accordance with established public health guidelines, he added.
The minister stated that the Karnataka Health Department continues to closely monitor the situation and remains fully prepared to take all necessary steps in the interest of public health and safety.
“The Health Department is closely monitoring the situation and is fully prepared to take all required measures to safeguard public health,” he stressed.
Appealing to the public to remain calm, Dinesh Gundu Rao urged citizens not to panic and advised them to follow official health guidelines issued by the government and the Health Department.
A 28-year-old woman arriving in Bengaluru from Uganda was placed in isolation and tested for Ebola.
The Karnataka Health Department has stepped up surveillance and preparedness measures across the state following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of the ongoing Ebola Disease (ED) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC) on May 17.
According to the Health Department, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) in Bengaluru has been designated as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital has been identified as the quarantine and treatment centre.
The Health Department stated that samples from suspected Ebola cases would be collected and sent through the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Bengaluru, for confirmatory testing at NIV Pune.
The department said it was continuously monitoring the global situation and had taken all necessary precautionary and preparedness measures to handle any potential health emergency.