'Why Are We Allowing People From Ebola Outbreak Areas?’: Health Experts Worried As Travellers From Affected Countries Enter India

As the world remains on high alert over the spread of a new Ebola strain, health experts across India are questioning why travellers from Ebola-affected countries are still being allowed to enter the country despite heightened surveillance measures.The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Ebola a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), with global authorities worried about the speed at which the new strain is spreading and the challenges in containing it. India too has stepped up monitoring, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation issuing strict surveillance guidelines for airlines and airports.Yet, despite these measures, at least two travellers from affected regions,

Uganda and Congo, entered India in recent weeks, sparking concern among infectious disease experts.Doctors say the biggest fear is not just the virus entering India, but infected individuals potentially going undetected during the incubation period and travelling freely across states before symptoms appear. One recent case has particularly alarmed experts. A 37-year-old businessman who arrived in Mumbai from Congo earlier this month reportedly stayed in the city for five days before travelling to Silvassa, Daman and eventually Vadodara. He was later hospitalized after developing Ebola-like symptoms such as high fever and cold. Earlier this week a 28-year-old Ugandan woman who had been isolated in Bengaluru over Ebola infection tested negative.

Experts point out that Ebola’s incubation period can last several days, during which a person may test negative despite carrying the virus. This makes repeated testing and strict isolation crucial. "What is worrying is that one infected person can move across multiple cities before authorities even realise there is a risk," said a doctor closely monitoring the Ebola situation. "That is exactly how outbreaks spiral."Earlier, around 16 people in Gujarat and Maharashtra were quarantined after travelling from Ebola-affected countries such as Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with some reporting suspected symptoms.The situation has reignited questions over India’s travel policy during outbreaks of highly infectious diseases, especially when several countries have already imposed strict entry restrictions.Last week, the United States banned all non-citizens who had travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days from entering the country. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the restrictions to green card holders who had been in those countries within the last 21 days.US citizens returning from affected countries have also been directed to enter only through selected airports equipped with enhanced Ebola screening systems. These include Washington Dulles International Airport for flights departing after May 21, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for flights after May 22, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for flights departing after May 26.Against this backdrop, Indian health experts say the country must evaluate whether surveillance alone is enough. Dr Ishwar Gilada, Mumbai-based infectious disease expert, said India should adopt far stricter entry rules. “Our policy should be so strict that we do not allow anybody coming from those kinds of countries where there is already an outbreak of Ebola, because Ebola has neither a treatment nor a cure nor a preventive vaccine,” he said.Another recent Ebola scare emerged in Bengaluru after a woman returning from Uganda developed symptoms, although she later tested negative.While authorities maintain that surveillance systems are active and functioning, several doctors argue that monitoring alone may not be enough against a virus as dangerous as Ebola. Many believe temporary travel restrictions from outbreak zones may be necessary to prevent India from becoming vulnerable to an imported outbreak.