The Health department is continuing Ebola surveillance in earnest, as directed by the Centre, and all passengers from the Ebola-affected nations — Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan — entering the State are being made to undergo mandatory quarantine of 21 days from their arrival in Kerala.

Senior health officials said there seemed to be many Malayalis as well as natives of Tamil Nadu who were alighting at the four international airports in the State from Congo and South Sudan. There were also tourists coming into the State after having travelled to the affected nations.

As on May 31, a total of 27 people from Ebola-affected nations are under home quarantine in the State in various districts. In Ernakaulam, while one person is under institutional quarantine, another person with symptoms has been placed under isolation in a tertiary care hospital for ruling out Ebola.

A total of 32 passengers with African travel history who landed in Kerala (since May 22) have been cross-notified to other States whereas two passengers to Kerala, whose of point of entry into the country was different, were cross-notified to the State Health department

Travellers from Ebola-affected nations who are asymptomatic and have no contact history with any Ebola/Ebola-suspected cases are asked to quarantine themselves at home. Those who are asymptomatic but have contact history are placed in institutional quarantine and those who are found to be symptomatic are isolated directly in tertiary care centres.

Just as it was done during COVID-19, the department has identified an institutional facility and a hospital for isolating people in every district. A detailed bulletin on the surveillance activities is being put up by the Health department on a daily basis. Guidelines to people and strategic communication to educate people are also being issued. Mock drills and training of healthcare personnel are also going on

On Sunday, a mock drill was held at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, in association with the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi.

Various medical specialties, infection control nurses, laboratory personnel, and other support staff took part.

The mock drill enacted and assessed various possible scenarios such as receiving an Ebola suspect, triaging, transportation to isolation rooms, sample collection and transportation and biomedical waste management etc. The drill was monitored by an independent external observer designated by the NCDC.

A nodal officer has been assigned to each of the tertiary care centres designated as Ebola treatment facilities in every district

Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials. It is not considered an airborne disease in normal community settings.

The incubation period — the time between exposure and onset of symptoms — ranges from two to 21 days, which is why health authorities typically monitor travellers for 21 days.

Passengers from affected countries have been advised to immediately report to health authorities at airports if they experience symptoms associated with Ebola, including fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat or bleeding.

Kerala has been known for adopting aggressive surveillance strategies when it comes to infectious diseases, as was evident during COVID-19 and Nipah outbreaks and this has always stood the State in good stead.