Israel’s Health Ministry said overnight Friday that a person suspected of having Ebola arrived in Israel after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is being treated in isolation. The traveler returned three days ago, then sought medical care after developing a fever and headache. Officials stressed that this is only a suspicion at this stage.
The patient was transferred to Rambam Medical Center, which has been designated to receive suspected cases of this kind. At the same time, the ministry has launched an epidemiological investigation to identify anyone who may have been in contact with the patient.
In its statement, the ministry said that in recent months, since Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, it has been closely monitoring developments worldwide and preparing for any scenario. It said it has issued professional guidance to medical teams and relevant hospitals, completed stockpiling of protective gear and special equipment, established early-detection procedures for returning travelers from affected areas, and set up a laboratory system for diagnosing Ebola.
The ministry again urged the public to avoid nonessential travel to places with active Ebola transmission, especially the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Travelers who do go should get advance advice at a travel clinic. Anyone returning from those countries, especially affected areas, and developing fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days of return, should stay home, avoid contact with others, and call the Health Ministry hotline, *5400, while stating during the call that they were in an Ebola area. Last month, the ministry also issued an earlier warning, first reported by Kan News, advising against travel to Ebola-hit parts of Africa and recommending stricter precautions, including frequent handwashing, avoiding sick people or their belongings, avoiding crowded gatherings, medical facilities and funerals, and limiting contact with infected animals such as bats, antelopes and monkeys.
