Health Ministry says two hospitalized men do not have Ebola

The Health Ministry said Tuesday afternoon that two men who were suspected of having Ebola after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested negative for the virus. They are still being treated at Sheba Medical Center and Rambam Health Care Campus.

The ministry said the tests were carried out according to professional procedures and international guidelines for handling high-risk infectious diseases. It also stressed that no confirmed Ebola case has ever been identified in Israel.

Officials repeated that Ebola is not transmitted through the air. Infection occurs through direct contact with a symptomatic patient, or with blood, body fluids, or secretions. The ministry said it is continuing to monitor outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and is maintaining system-wide preparedness for any scenario.

The public was urged to avoid nonessential travel to areas with active disease. Travelers returning from those regions who develop fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days should stay home, avoid contact with others, and call the Health Ministry hotline, Kol HaBriut, at *5400.