A total of 58 travellers who arrived at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) from Ebola-affected countries of Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan have been placed under 21-day home isolation as part of Telangana’s preventive measures against the virus, Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha said on Tuesday.

Officials informed the Minister during a review meeting that none of the travellers had shown symptoms of Ebola so far. All 58 individuals have been categorised under Category-I and are being continuously monitored by district surveillance teams.

The Minister said no Ebola cases had been detected in Telangana till date and urged the public not to panic. “The government is maintaining strict vigilance and has strengthened precautionary measures at airports and hospitals to prevent any possible outbreak in the State,” he added.

The Minister was informed that passengers arriving from Ebola-affected countries are undergoing strict screening and thermal scanning at Hyderabad airport. A dedicated medical team comprising doctors, health inspectors, field staff and paramedical personnel has been deployed at the airport to monitor incoming passengers. The ‘108’ ambulances are kept on standby round the clock to handle emergencies.

As part of the preparedness measures, a dedicated 10-bed isolation ward has been set up at Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad. Sunil Kumar, head of the Department of General Medicine, has been appointed nodal officer for Ebola preparedness. Samples from suspected Ebola cases are being sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for testing.

The Minister directed officials to maintain continuous surveillance and ensure there is no negligence in monitoring travellers. He said any person showing symptoms of Ebola should be immediately shifted to the isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital.