Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Published : October 30, 2014 11:49 AM IST
The state government has decided to strengthen screening measures for Ebola virus disease at international airports in Maharashtra, including Mumbai. This decision was taken in a review meeting held Wednesday at the state health department.
As per the earlier recommendations, passengers coming from West African countries are to be classified at the airport under High, Medium and Low categories, depending on their of risk infection.
High risk: Passengers showing suspected symptoms will be at high risk of infection. They would be admitted for further examination at the health facility. (Read: Ebola virus causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention)
Medium risk: Passengers with a known history of contact with an Ebola case would be categorized as having medium risk of infection. Such passengers would be tracked by the IDSP units in their respective States/ UTs. (Read: Ebola in India: Dense population and poor sanitation biggest challenges to tackle Ebola, says Ebola co-discoverer)
Low risk: These would be passengers that do not show any symptoms and do not have any contact history with an Ebola case. These passengers would be provided necessary information about Ebola. They will be told to report at a health facility if suspected symptoms develop. (Read: Ebola in India: IMA in Kerala ramps up training programme over Ebola scare)
Officials will also be documenting a passport photocopy of all travellers coming from Ebola-hit West African nations who are categorised with medium risk of the disease, to ensure that they have their correct addresses and contact numbers.
Till date, 370 passengers from West African countries have been tracked for Ebola at three international airports since August 8. Out of them, 218 passengers were found to be medium-risk patients. They were followed up daily for health updates, said health officials.
In order to ensure that these measures are followed as per the recommended guidelines, State health officials will be inspecting them randomly. Earlier, Centre s health department visited Mumbai s Kasturba Hospital near Arthur Road jail and the Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari on Monday to check whether an Ebola response plan was in place as per the recommended guidelines. It was surprising that the hospitals failed in some key aspects needed for an isolation facility. (Read: Ebola in India: Is Mumbai ready to handle an Ebola emergency?)
Here are reasons why Ebola is so deadly
It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent.
Attacks every part of the human body: Ebola only needs a host cell that can help it produce multiple copies of itself. What worsens the condition is the fact that the virus does not need a specific type of cell to multiply (unlike other deadly diseases). According to studies, except for skeletal muscles and bones, the virus is known to infect every part of the human body. Connective tissues, the ones that hold your internal organs in place, are primary targets of the virus.
Disrupts your immune system: Viral proteins present on the outer surface of the Ebola virus are what destroy the immune system. VP35, one of those proteins, interferes with the production of some important components of the human immune system, like interferons. Another protein traps the white blood cells inside the circulatory system by limiting their movement. As a response to the virus, whatever molecules the immune cells release are used by the virus to devastate the vascular system and activate blood clot formation.
Photo source: Getty images
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