KOTTAYAM: A 54-year-old woman with suspected Ebola symptoms was admitted to Government Medical College Hospital in Kottayam on Thursday.
The woman, a native of Valavoor in Pala, had recently returned from South Sudan. She sought treatment at a private hospital in Pala on Wednesday after developing a fever. Following this, health department officials shifted her to the Medical College Hospital for further evaluation.
She is being monitored in a special isolation ward, and a dedicated team has been appointed to observe her condition. Hospital sources said she has a fever but does not show other symptoms commonly associated with Ebola.
Health officials said confirmation of the infection will be possible only after test results from a swab sample sent to Thiruvananthapuram are received. A medical board will be formed to decide on further treatment.
Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated materials. The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days. Authorities typically monitor travellers for 21 days after possible exposure.