State on high alert on Ebola issue, city yet to get instructions
By Vikas Vaidya
Outbreak is a medical thriller written by Dr. Robin Cook and published in 1987 which deals with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the United States. Nobody had thought then that the same virus would play havoc in 2014. Now World Health Organisation has declared it as emergency disease. The airports all over the world have been put on alert. Even Maharashtra State hurriedly issued some instructions, surprisingly, the authorities at Nagpur did not get any such.
International Health division of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Government of India has communicated to Air Port Health Officer (APHO) for necessary vigilance at all international entry points. International Health division has been asked to collect information with the help of APHO of concerned airport about the list of suspected passengers, if any and their relevant details and transmit the same to the respective State Government(s) immediately.
When contacted P Anilkumar, Sr Airport Director, MIHAN India Limited (MIL) at Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport said that he did not get any such instructions uptill now.
Suresh Shetty, Maharashtra’s Minister for Public Health said, “Two ambulances available with Maharashtra Emergency Medical Service (MEMS 108) have been deployed at Mumbai Airport to shift suspected passengers, if any. Ten beds have been reserved in each of Medical College Hospitals of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). State has communicated to all medical officers to be prepared to handle any eventuality in the wake of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. State has communicated National Institute of Virology Pune to provide diagnostic facility for EVD. NIV has approved for the same.”
Dr Sandhya Saoji, noted senior Microbiologist said, “It causes by infected body fluid. In my textbook there was a mention of Ebola. When the disease reaches at peak, the bleeding tendency increases which can lead to death. Hemorrhagic fever is the main symptom. Controlling the bleeding becomes difficult. The mortality rate is very high. It is highly contagious. We do not have detection test. The symptoms are vague like fever, naucea, vomitting which can occur in other common disease also. So it becomes difficult to differentiate.”
Dr Meena Mishra, Professor at Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) said, “Guidelines have been issued but not sent yet. Till now no suspected has been found in India or in State but if found so, the serum sample is to be sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.”
Dont worry, this is not airborne disease
Leading Microbiologists Dr Sandhya Saoji and Dr Meena Mishra, Sr teacher at Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College and Hospital said, “There is one good thing that Ebola is not airborne, so the spread is only through infection. But care should be taken properly.”
- Physical contacts with other people should be avoided
- It can be transmitted from consuming meat from infected source
- Restrict outside food, authentic eaterie should be used.
- If suspected case, high grade fever, severe body ache. Diarrohea, vomiting. They can bleed from all body. Bleeding spots
found should be given medical care.
- Spitting is rampant in our country which should be stopped as it is the main source of spreading.
Hospitals in Liberia, Guinea closed
One Nigerian National happens to be in Mumbai spoke to The Hitavada on condition of anonymity. He said, “The Ebula virus was first detected in the year 2008-09 in Congo. Some people died but the disease was controlled. Last year it started in Guinea, Liberia and Sierraleone. This time it might have got spread when infected person from Guinea went to Liberia. This time it has spread fast and people are dying. The treatment modality is not available and the healthcare staff too is at risk of getting infected. The hospitals in Liberia, Guinea have been closed down. The patients are not being admitted anywhere. The authorities in these countries are confused.”
In outbreak settings, Ebola virus is typically first spread to humans after contact with infected wildlife and is then spread person-to-person through direct contact with bodily fluids such as, but not limited to, blood, urine, sweat, semen, and breast milk. The incubation period is usually 8–10 days (ranges from 2–21 days). Patients can transmit the virus while febrile and through later stages of disease, as well as postmortem, when persons touch the body during funeral preparations.
Controlling infection in health-care settings
It is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients regardless of their diagnosis in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe handling after death of infected patient. Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories, informed Dr Vasant Khalatkar, noted Paediatrician.
Risk of tourist being infected is low
“The risk of a tourist or businessman/woman becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected areas and developing disease after returning is extremely low, even if the visit included travel to the local areas from which primary
cases have been reported. Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animal, all unlikely exposures for the average traveller. Tourists are in any event advised to avoid all such contacts,” said Public Health Ministry communique.
Outbreak is a medical thriller written by Dr. Robin Cook and published in 1987 which deals with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the United States. Nobody had thought then that the same virus would play havoc in 2014. Now World Health Organisation has declared it as emergency disease. The airports all over the world have been put on alert. Even Maharashtra State hurriedly issued some instructions, surprisingly, the authorities at Nagpur did not get any such.
International Health division of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Government of India has communicated to Air Port Health Officer (APHO) for necessary vigilance at all international entry points. International Health division has been asked to collect information with the help of APHO of concerned airport about the list of suspected passengers, if any and their relevant details and transmit the same to the respective State Government(s) immediately.
When contacted P Anilkumar, Sr Airport Director, MIHAN India Limited (MIL) at Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport said that he did not get any such instructions uptill now.
Suresh Shetty, Maharashtra’s Minister for Public Health said, “Two ambulances available with Maharashtra Emergency Medical Service (MEMS 108) have been deployed at Mumbai Airport to shift suspected passengers, if any. Ten beds have been reserved in each of Medical College Hospitals of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). State has communicated to all medical officers to be prepared to handle any eventuality in the wake of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. State has communicated National Institute of Virology Pune to provide diagnostic facility for EVD. NIV has approved for the same.”
Dr Sandhya Saoji, noted senior Microbiologist said, “It causes by infected body fluid. In my textbook there was a mention of Ebola. When the disease reaches at peak, the bleeding tendency increases which can lead to death. Hemorrhagic fever is the main symptom. Controlling the bleeding becomes difficult. The mortality rate is very high. It is highly contagious. We do not have detection test. The symptoms are vague like fever, naucea, vomitting which can occur in other common disease also. So it becomes difficult to differentiate.”
Dr Meena Mishra, Professor at Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) said, “Guidelines have been issued but not sent yet. Till now no suspected has been found in India or in State but if found so, the serum sample is to be sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.”
Dont worry, this is not airborne disease
Leading Microbiologists Dr Sandhya Saoji and Dr Meena Mishra, Sr teacher at Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College and Hospital said, “There is one good thing that Ebola is not airborne, so the spread is only through infection. But care should be taken properly.”
- Physical contacts with other people should be avoided
- It can be transmitted from consuming meat from infected source
- Restrict outside food, authentic eaterie should be used.
- If suspected case, high grade fever, severe body ache. Diarrohea, vomiting. They can bleed from all body. Bleeding spots
found should be given medical care.
- Spitting is rampant in our country which should be stopped as it is the main source of spreading.
Hospitals in Liberia, Guinea closed
One Nigerian National happens to be in Mumbai spoke to The Hitavada on condition of anonymity. He said, “The Ebula virus was first detected in the year 2008-09 in Congo. Some people died but the disease was controlled. Last year it started in Guinea, Liberia and Sierraleone. This time it might have got spread when infected person from Guinea went to Liberia. This time it has spread fast and people are dying. The treatment modality is not available and the healthcare staff too is at risk of getting infected. The hospitals in Liberia, Guinea have been closed down. The patients are not being admitted anywhere. The authorities in these countries are confused.”
In outbreak settings, Ebola virus is typically first spread to humans after contact with infected wildlife and is then spread person-to-person through direct contact with bodily fluids such as, but not limited to, blood, urine, sweat, semen, and breast milk. The incubation period is usually 8–10 days (ranges from 2–21 days). Patients can transmit the virus while febrile and through later stages of disease, as well as postmortem, when persons touch the body during funeral preparations.
Controlling infection in health-care settings
It is important that health-care workers apply standard precautions consistently with all patients regardless of their diagnosis in all work practices at all times. These include basic hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (according to the risk of splashes or other contact with infected materials), safe injection practices and safe handling after death of infected patient. Laboratory workers are also at risk. Samples taken from suspected human and animal Ebola cases for diagnosis should be handled by trained staff and processed in suitably equipped laboratories, informed Dr Vasant Khalatkar, noted Paediatrician.
Risk of tourist being infected is low
“The risk of a tourist or businessman/woman becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected areas and developing disease after returning is extremely low, even if the visit included travel to the local areas from which primary
cases have been reported. Transmission requires direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected living or dead persons or animal, all unlikely exposures for the average traveller. Tourists are in any event advised to avoid all such contacts,” said Public Health Ministry communique.
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