Another suspected Ebola case has been reported in Israelץ A 24-year-old man who returned several days ago from the Democratic Republic of the Congo while suffering from a fever has been hospitalized at Soroka Medical Center in an isolation room. The young man’s condition is stable, and he is in isolation and being treated by the hospital staff according to Health Ministry protocols.
This is the third time in recent months that an Israeli has been hospitalized with suspected Ebola. In the two previous cases, at Sheba Medical Center and Rambam Health Care Campus, the concern was ruled out after several days and both patients tested negative for the virus.
The Health Ministry said that “the required tests are now being conducted and the results are expected in the next 24 hours. He is being treated at Soroka under isolation conditions in accordance with professional protocols and the preparations that were made. At the same time, an epidemiological investigation is being conducted.”
Treating Ebola patients in Congo
(Photo: Moses Sawasawa/AP)
The ministry also clarified that, since the Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda, it has been continuously monitoring developments and has been preparing to ensure optimal readiness for any possible scenario.
In addition, the ministry said nonessential travel should be avoided to areas with active Ebola transmission, primarily the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Anyone traveling to these areas is advised to receive individual guidance in advance at a travelers’ clinic, in accordance with the instructions on the Health Ministry website.
Ebola is a severe viral disease that can be fatal and belongs to the family known as orthoebolaviruses. Infection occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids of patients or people who have died — such as blood, vomit or semen — or through contact with objects contaminated by these fluids. Ebola is not transmitted through the air. A person exposed to the virus who does not develop symptoms is not considered contagious.