Delhi Airport Advisory on Ebola Outbreak: Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday issued a health advisory for passengers travelling from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries, asking anyone showing symptoms to immediately contact airport health authorities for medical screening.
The advisory was issued by the Directorate General of Health Services under the Union Health Ministry as part of preventive safety measures and enhanced airport surveillance protocols. According to officials, travellers arriving from countries reporting Ebola infections including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan have been advised to stay alert for symptoms linked to the deadly virus.
DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services) issues passenger advisory regarding Ebola Virus pic.twitter.com/KI4BwX9UqP
— ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2026
The advisory said passengers experiencing symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, muscle pain, weakness, sore throat, or unexplained bleeding should immediately report to the Airport Health Officer or designated health desk before immigration clearance.
Authorities have also urged travellers who may have had direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of a suspected or confirmed Ebola patient to undergo immediate medical screening. The notice further stated that passengers developing symptoms within 21 days of arrival should seek medical attention without delay and inform doctors and healthcare officials about their recent travel history.
What Does the Ebola Virus Do?
Ebola is one of the world’s deadliest viruses and causes viral hemorrhagic fever. The disease severely attacks the body’s immune system and can lead to inflammation, tissue damage, internal bleeding, organ failure, and fatal loss of body fluids. The virus can also damage the liver, kidneys, and blood vessels, making the infection highly dangerous if not treated quickly.
WHO Says Ebola Outbreak May Have Spread Undetected for Months
According to the World Health Organization, the current Ebola outbreak in central Africa may have been spreading silently for several months before it was officially detected. WHO officials said the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola had likely circulated for a couple of months” before being identified in blood samples on May 15.
Why Was the Ebola Outbreak Difficult to Detect?
Health experts said the outbreak became harder to identify because early testing focused on a different Ebola strain, leading to false negative results. Officials also noted that many Ebola symptoms closely resemble diseases such as malaria, making diagnosis more complicated during the early stages of the outbreak.
No Specific Vaccine Yet for Bundibugyo Strain
The delay in detection has complicated efforts to control the outbreak because there are currently no approved tests, treatments, or vaccines specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain. WHO officials said the most promising experimental vaccine could take another six to nine months before becoming available for clinical trials.
Ebola Cases and Death Toll Continue to Rise
The WHO has reported nearly 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 deaths linked to the outbreak across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. “We expect the numbers to keep increasing given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.Tedros also warned about the danger posed by the “scale and speed” of the outbreak as health authorities continue efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
