India, which has so far not reported a single case of Ebola, is emulating the Senegal-model of tracking every individual who could have been exposed to the virus or come into contact with anyone else who did, to prevent the outbreak of the deadly disease in the country. The World Health Organisation has declared Senegal Ebola-free.
Health experts assert that since Ebola is so far known only to spread through bodily fluids, it is easier to track the carriers. “It is not airborne, but there is ambiguity on how the bodily fluid exchange is acting as a contagion. Earlier it was perceived to be transmitted if there were breaks and cuts in the skin, but now we are cautioning against coming into contact with the person or an item he or she would have touched,” a senior official of the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said.
Officials have tightened the screening of individuals at all ports of entry, and those who have flown in from areas exposed to Ebola are tracked for 30 days. “This is how Senegal could contain the disease, by tracking every person who showed symptoms and was in the Ebola-affected areas,” the official said.
