Chennai: Nigeria-returned lab technician screened for Ebola

An Indian man, who returned to Chennai from Nigeria via Abu Dhabi, has been suspected of an Ebola infection when the airport authorities screened him on Tuesday after he reported a high fever. The 21-year-old youth, K Balamurugan, who works as a lab technician in the Ebola-hit country, has been admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) where he is under quarantine.

The Ariyalur district native is being kept in the isolation ward at RGGGH and is under observation. A spate of tests are being carried to idientify the virus. “A fever profile was done and the patient was put under treatment. His temperature has gone down and he is now doing well,” said GGH Dean R Vimala in a report by The Hindu .

The youth’s fever subsided after being undergoing initial treatment. Even though he has not exhibited any signs of the deadly Ebola disease, all precautions were taken as he has just returned from a country that has reported many Ebola cases.

“Since he has travelled from an Ebola virus-affected country, tests for Ebola were conducted. He did not report signs and symptoms for the disease. Tests for malaria, dengue, typhoid and chikungunya were also conducted,” GH officials were quoted in a Deccan Chronicle report.

The same report said that the youth will be kept under observation for two days but health officals will keep an eye on his condition during incubation period which is ususally 21 days long, reported TOI .

Balamurugan is the second person in Chennai who has been tested for Ebola after being admitted to a government hospital since returning from a West African country. In August, a man from Theni district, who returned from Guinea, was admitted in the hospital and was tested for Ebola. Later, he was discharged after the results were negative.