Kottayam (Kerala): In a major relief for Kerala, the test result of a woman suspected of having Ebola has turned out to be negative.
The 52-year old woman had arrived from South Sudan via Uganda and was admitted to an isolation ward of the Kottayam Medical College after showing symptoms akin to that of Ebola. However, test results received from the National Institute of Virology turned out to be negative, ending the Ebola scare in Kerala.
Health Minister K Muraleedharan told reporters that the patient has been shifted to home quarantine.
"The duration of home quarantine will be decided by a medical board constituted for the purpose. Usually, we follow a 21-day quarantine period, but as the patient no longer has symptoms, the decision will be taken by the medical board," the Minister said.
The patient, initially admitted to a private hospital at Pala with symptoms of fever, was later shifted to the isolation ward of the Kottayam Medical College. The shift had been carried out considering her travel history to countries with reported Ebola outbreaks.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Countries in Africa are currently battling a large-scale Ebola outbreak, with health authorities reporting new infections and deaths in affected provinces.
_With inputs from PTI