Israel’s Health Ministry said late Friday it is investigating a suspected Ebola case in a man who returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo three days earlier and then developed fever and headache. He has been placed in isolation at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, and an epidemiological investigation is under way.
The ministry said the diagnosis is still only a suspicion, and the required tests were carried out overnight. Results are expected within 24 hours. Officials also said they have stepped up preparedness since Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda in recent months.
As part of that preparation, medical teams were instructed how to handle suspected cases, protective equipment and dedicated supplies were stocked, early-detection systems were set up for travelers returning from outbreak areas, and a laboratory system for Ebola identification was established. The ministry urged people coming back from affected regions who develop symptoms within 21 days to stay home, avoid contact with others, and contact the ministry. It also advised against nonessential travel to outbreak areas.
Dr. Shirly Shapira Ben David, who heads infectious diseases at Maccabi Healthcare Services, said Ebola is a viral disease with six known types, four of which infect humans. She said the current concern is the Bundibugyo strain, which can cause severe and sometimes fatal illness. According to her, the disease originates in animals, spreads to humans through close contact with blood or secretions from infected wild animals, and then passes between people through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, contaminated surfaces, and objects. She said the incubation period is two to 21 days, early symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, and later signs can include nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and unexplained bleeding.
