World Health Organization Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)
NEW DELHI: As World Health Organization Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Indian health experts said there is no reason for panic as Ebola does not spread like Covid-19, though vigilance and early detection remain crucial.Health ministry officials said no Ebola case has ever been reported in India except one involving an international traveller who had tested positive in 2014. National Centre for Disease Control is closely monitoring the situation.Former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids, blood, vomit, secretions or contaminated material, unlike Covid-19 which spreads through routine droplet transmission.Experts said India has the laboratory capacity to rapidly detect Ebola through specialised RT-PCR testing at designated centres, though early clinical suspicion and quick reporting remain essential.