Ebola alert: Delhi airport intensifies checks as untreatable strain spreads in Congo

NEW DELHI: The Delhi international airport has issued a travel advisory for passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected regions, urging anyone experiencing symptoms to immediately contact medical authorities.

The directive follows a high-level review meeting chaired by the Union Health Secretary with officials from various states. The meeting evaluated India's public health preparedness and preventive measures currently in place to counter the virus. As Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, surveillance and screening protocols have been significantly intensified at major airports.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed grave concern over the rapid spread of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The current outbreak involves Bundibugyo, an exceptionally rare variant of Ebola.

What makes this specific strain highly dangerous is the lack of approved vaccines or targeted treatments. According to the WHO, developing an effective vaccine against this variant could take at least nine months. Dr. Vasee Murthy, an advisor to the WHO, noted that while two candidate vaccines are currently under development, they have yet to undergo clinical trials.

The scale of the outbreak is growing rapidly. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the latest resurgence has already claimed 139 lives, with suspected cases surging past 600. Dr. Ghebreyesus warned that the caseload is expected to rise further due to initial delays in detecting the virus.