Israeli Traveler Suspected of Ebola After Returning From Congo

A person who recently returned to Israel from Congo is suspected of having contracted Ebola, the Health Ministry said on Friday night. The patient was transferred to Rambam Medical Center, which has been designated to receive suspected cases, and is being treated in isolation while laboratory testing continues.

The ministry said the case is still only a suspicion and that no confirmed Ebola case has been diagnosed in Israel. It said the full workup should take about 48 more hours, or roughly one day, because of clinical procedures and medical protocols. As part of the response, officials are carrying out an epidemiological investigation to identify relevant contacts and said they will reach out directly to anyone who needs to take action. Those who are not contacted do not need to do anything for now.

The ministry emphasized that Ebola is not airborne and is transmitted through direct contact with a sick person, or with blood, body fluids, or secretions. It also repeated its warning against nonessential travel to areas with active Ebola transmission, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Travelers who return from those places and develop fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days should stay home, avoid contact with others, and call the Health Ministry’s Kol HaBriut hotline at *5400, making sure to say they were in an Ebola-affected area.

Health officials said the risk of a local outbreak remains low, but the fast spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and cases reaching Uganda, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany have prompted closer monitoring and emergency planning. Senior meetings have already been held, including at the Health Ministry’s hospital admissions authority and the committee on epidemic response, covering early detection, traveler alerts, protective gear, possible patient evacuation, and which hospitals can isolate a suspected case. The ministry said detailed guidance for hospitals and medical teams will be issued in the coming days, and that protective suits and other equipment have already been distributed.