According to the Airport Health Officer (APHO), the traveller was identified during thermal screening conducted as part of routine surveillance measures for international arrivals. Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
A Sudanese national who arrived at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) during the early hours of Thursday (June 4, 2026), was isolated and shifted to Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad after airport health officials detected fever during thermal screening of international passengers.
The development triggered speculation about a possible Ebola case. However, health authorities clarified that the passenger has not been classified as a suspected Ebola patient and is undergoing precautionary testing owing to his travel history and symptoms.
According to the Airport Health Officer (APHO), the traveller was identified during thermal screening conducted as part of routine surveillance measures for international arrivals. The passenger, in his 30s, is a Sudanese national who arrived in Hyderabad from Ethiopia and had recently travelled to Uganda and South Sudan.
“The traveller had been experiencing fever for the past two to three days. However, he did not exhibit any other symptoms commonly associated with viral haemorrhagic fevers. As a precaution, we isolated the passenger and referred him to Gandhi Hospital for further evaluation and testing,” the APHO told The Hindu.
The APHO stressed that the case should not be labelled as a suspected Ebola infection at this stage.
Gandhi Hospital Superintendent N. Vani also dismissed reports circulating on social media that an Ebola suspect had been identified at the airport. “It is not a suspected Ebola case. He is a traveller from Sudan who came to Hyderabad for medical treatment. During thermal screening at the airport, a fever was detected and he was referred for isolation,” Dr. Vani said.
She said the patient had travelled to the city for medical treatment and was being managed in accordance with established public health protocols.
Samples have been collected and will be sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for testing. “The test results are expected within 48 hours. If the reports are negative and the patient’s condition remains stable, he can be discharged and advised home quarantine,” Dr. Vani added.
Published – June 04, 2026 02:18 pm IST