The dreaded Ebola virus may not have made any inroads in the city, but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is busy maintaining the infrastructure to tackle the virus. The civic body's alertness centres on the fact that a 26-year-old man in Delhi has been quarantined since November 18 after his semen samples tested positive for the virus following his return from Liberia. Even though he showed no symptoms of Ebola, the union health ministry said that an infected asymptomatic person can shed the virus for up to 90 days through body fluids even after they get cured.
BMC officials said that the infected Delhi male was thought cured, but three months later, he is still infected. "It has been over 90 days that he has been cured, yet his semen sample is testing positive for Ebola, so he is in quarantine at a special health facility of New Delhi's airport authority," said Dr Mangala Gomare, epidemiologist, BMC.
"The man has to be quarantined, as otherwise he may pose a threat of spreading the virus through the sexual route," said Dr Sujata Baveja, head, microbiology at the BMC-run Sion Hospital.
Ever since worldwide alarm over the Ebola outbreak, BMC has followed up with 5,050 passengers arriving from virus-stricken countries of West Africa since August 10. A list of such passengers has been provided by the airport authority in Mumbai to the public health department for a follow-up.
"Those who were at risk of developing the disease are being followed up on for a month by our health officials to see if they develop any symptoms. Two suspected cases with Ebola-like symptoms were also quarantined at the Jogeshwari Trauma Care Hospital in the city. Other than these, there has been no cause of worry, as samples of the suspected cases had come Ebola-free," said Dr Gomare.
Keeping in mind that the mortality rate of ebola workers the world over is higher than patients', BMC said it has trained close to a thousand healthcare workers and doctors in case the virus hits the city.
"The threat has not waned. Mock drills to teach how to out on and take off protective equipment are being carried out regularly for workers and doctors. We are training healthcare personnel thoroughly to prevent any breach in protocol which may land their lives in danger, as practice is needed for handling such a crisis," said Dr Baveja.
Fact check
Until December 30 last year, 20,205 patients got infected with Ebola the world over, but mostly in West Africa; of these, 40% or 7,905 had died, as per the World Health Organization (WHO)
As many as 678 healthcare workers were infected globally, of whom a majority (380) died
Common symptoms: fever, headache, joint and muscle ache, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and lack of appetite
If any individual with a travel history to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has developed the above symptoms in the past 21 days, they should contact the BMC helpline: 022 24114000
The virus can be washed away with soap, bleach and sunlight
Wash clothes contaminated by infected body fluids such as saliva, sweat, breast milk or blood; avoid all contact with body fluids, utensils and clothes of infected persons
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