Amid global concern about the Ebola outbreak, a 28-year-old woman from Uganda who developed mild symptoms after arriving in India has been shifted to Bengaluru’s state-run Epidemic Diseases Hospital as a precautionary measure, Karnataka health officials said on Tuesday. Her samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, and the test reports are awaited.

According to health department officials, the woman had recently travelled from an Ebola-affected region and was initially staying at a hotel before being moved to the designated facility after she complained of body ache. Officials said her condition is stable and she is under close medical observation.

Authorities clarified that this is not a confirmed Ebola case in India so far. A repeat test will also be conducted as part of the standard protocol.

The development comes amid heightened global monitoring after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC) on May 17.

Following the outbreak in parts of Africa, the Karnataka Health Department had earlier issued an advisory asking travellers returning from Ebola-affected countries to monitor their health for 21 days.

The department directed people developing symptoms to immediately report to the nearest health facility. Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have also been deployed for surveillance and monitoring activities across the state.

In Bengaluru, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) has been identified as the isolation centre, while the Epidemic Diseases Hospital has been designated for quarantine and treatment.

Apart from Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has also activated healthcare infrastructure in coastal regions. In Mangaluru, Srinivas Port Hospital under the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) has been designated as the quarantine centre, while Wenlock District Hospital will handle isolation and treatment if required.

Health officials have urged the public not to panic, stating that precautionary measures are being followed strictly as part of Ebola surveillance protocols.

With PTI inputs