No case of Ebola identified in country: Nadda

No case of Ebola has been identified in the country and an integrated disease surveillance project is tracking the passengers who arrive India from affected countries, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda said there is screening of passengers from affected West African countries at seven international airports and nine major ports. Special Health Units are functioning at these airports and are manned by trained medical and paramedical staff.
"The Integrated Disease Surveillance Project is tracking such passengers who arrived from affected countries and have a history of contact with a suspect of confirmed Ebola case," he said.

Nadda said an Indian travelling from Liberia who had undergone treatment for Ebola in that country and certified to be free from the disease was found to carry the virus on his body but he has been quarantined at the quarantine centre of Airport Health Organisation, Delhi.
He said that as on February 24, 50,157 passengers arriving through flights that connect affected countries have been screened, of them 50,075 have been categorised as low risk, nine as medium risk and 73 as high risk.
"About 100 samples have been tested at the National Centre for Disease Control and at NIV, Pune. All these samples have been tested negative," he said.

Apart from laboratories of National Institute of Virology Pune and National Centre for Disease Control, ten more laboratories with required bio-safety level standards have been identified to collect, test and store samples. State governments too have identified isolation facilities to manage Ebola cases, the minister said.
"Master trainers of 25 states and rapid response teams of all states and UTs were trained and personal protective equipments were provided to all states and UTs," Nadda said.
Nadda said his ministry has established a 24X7 helpline while the expenditure on Ebola-related activities have been met from funds earmarked for Emergency Medical Relief and those for Airport or Port Health activities.