A second Sudanese national has been placed under isolation at Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad over suspected Ebola symptoms, health officials confirmed on Friday, 5 June. The individual, a student enrolled at a private university in Hyderabad, was flagged during thermal screening at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) after registering a body temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting authorities to transfer him to the hospital's designated isolation ward.

How the Case Was Detected

The traveller was identified through the special thermal scanning protocol active at RGIA for arrivals from African countries, including Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. His travel history from a high-risk country triggered the alert, and he was moved to Gandhi Hospital — the designated nodal centre for Ebola preparedness in the city — for observation and testing. A close contact of the student has also been isolated at the same facility as a precautionary measure.

Medical Assessment and Tests Underway

Dr Vamshee Krishna, nodal officer for the isolation ward at Gandhi Hospital, said blood, urine, and swab samples have been dispatched to government-designated laboratories. Results are expected within two days. Notably, the patient was not found to exhibit classic Ebola indicators such as vomiting or diarrhoea, according to doctors. He is currently under observation in the isolation ward.

Doctors indicated that a negative test result would likely lead to a recommendation of home isolation and monitoring. A positive result would trigger treatment as per established protocol.

Hospital Infrastructure and Preparedness

Gandhi Hospital has a dedicated Ebola ward comprising 10 fully isolated rooms, each with an attached bathroom, along with 15 additional quarantine beds. A dedicated team of doctors, health inspectors, field staff, and paramedics has been deployed at RGIA to monitor incoming travellers. Special screening and thermal scanning remain active for passengers arriving from Ebola-affected regions.

Broader Surveillance Picture

This is the second such isolation case involving a Sudanese national in Hyderabad. Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha had stated earlier this week that 58 travellers from Ebola-affected countries had arrived in Hyderabad, none of whom had shown symptoms. All 58 were placed under Category-I surveillance and 21-day home isolation as a precautionary measure.

This comes amid heightened global vigilance over Ebola transmission risks from high-incidence zones in Africa, with Indian health authorities maintaining airport-level screening as a first line of defence. Laboratory results in the coming days will determine the next course of action for the isolated student and his contact.