Israel’s Health Ministry said on Saturday that a traveler who returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo was admitted to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa in isolation on suspicion of Ebola. The man came back to Israel three days ago and sought medical care after developing fever and a headache.
Rambam, which has been designated for cases of this kind, is treating him under strict isolation while the necessary tests are being completed. The ministry said the results are expected within the next 24 hours, and stressed that at this stage it is only a suspicion, not a confirmed diagnosis.
At the same time, the Health Ministry has launched a broad epidemiological investigation to identify everyone who may have been in contact with the patient. It said it has been monitoring developments since Ebola outbreaks in Congo and Uganda and has already prepared the health system accordingly.
Those preparations included issuing professional guidance to medical teams and relevant hospitals, stocking protective gear and special equipment, and establishing early-detection systems for travelers returning from outbreak areas, as well as laboratory capabilities to identify the virus. The ministry again urged the public to avoid nonessential travel to affected areas, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Travelers who return from those places and develop fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days are told to stay home, avoid contact with others and call the Health Ministry hotline at 5400 to report their travel history.
