Israel fears first Ebola outbreak as two suspected cases identified

Israeli Health Ministry fears the country may have its first two cases of the deadly Ebola virus, placing a patient in isolation after he traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

By World Israel News Staff

Two men suspected of having contracted Ebola after returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are being treated in isolation at two different hospitals, Israeli health officials said on Sunday, as authorities conduct testing and trace possible contacts.

The Health Ministry said that one man returned to Israel from the DRC several days before seeking medical care after developing a fever and headache. He was transferred to Rambam Hospital in Haifa, which has been designated as a center for receiving suspected cases of the disease.

“At this stage, this is only a suspicion,” the Health Ministry said, according to Hebrew-language reports, adding that required tests were being carried out and that the man was being treated “in isolation, in accordance with professional procedures.”

The ministry said an epidemiological investigation was underway to identify anyone who had relevant contact with the patient. Officials stressed that there were no confirmed Ebola cases in Israel and said members of the public did not need to take any action unless contacted directly by the ministry.

The patient’s test results were expected within roughly 48 hours, according to the ministry.

Ynet reported that hospital officials said the man was being treated in a dedicated negative-pressure isolation room in the emergency department, designed to fully separate the case from routine emergency room operations.

Later on Sunday, the Health Ministry announced that a second suspected case had been identified.

The patient, a man who had also recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sought medical treatment after suffering from headaches, fever, and diarrhea.

He has been placed under medical isolation in Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan in central Israel.

The suspected cases come amid a major Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda caused by the Bundibugyo species of the virus. The World Health Organization says the outbreak was confirmed in May and involves a species for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, though candidate vaccines and treatments are being studied.

The DRC said Saturday that confirmed Ebola cases in the country had risen to 956, including 247 deaths. Uganda has also reported cases connected to the outbreak.

The current outbreak has been concentrated in eastern DRC, including Ituri province, and has posed major challenges for responders because of insecurity, population movement, strained health infrastructure and limited public trust in some affected areas.

The WHO said it was supporting authorities in the DRC and Uganda on surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness, delivery of supplies, community engagement and cross-border readiness.

Ebola is not transmitted through the air. Infection occurs through direct contact with a symptomatic patient or with blood, bodily fluids, secretions or contaminated objects.

The Health Ministry has urged Israelis to avoid nonessential travel to areas with active Ebola transmission, especially the DRC and Uganda.

“In recent months, since the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the Health Ministry has been continuously monitoring developments around the world and preparing to ensure optimal readiness for any possible scenario,” the ministry said, according to Kan.

The ministry said those preparations included issuing professional guidance to medical teams and relevant hospitals, equipping facilities with protective and dedicated equipment, establishing early-identification mechanisms for travelers returning from affected areas, and setting up laboratory testing capacity for Ebola.