FILE PHOTO
Mogadishu (AX) — Somali health authorities have placed a citizen in quarantine after learning that he traveled with a passenger who later died from Ebola, though he has not tested positive for the virus.
- Advertisement -
In a statement issued Oct. 12, the Ministry of Health and Social Care said the man was quarantined on Oct. 11 after officials were notified of his travel connection to the Ebola victim.
“The citizen was transferred to the Ebola Quarantine and Treatment Center at Forlanini Hospital in Mogadishu, where medical assessments and monitoring are being conducted to determine his health status,” the ministry said.
The ministry said its International Health Regulations office received formal notification about the traveler from Uganda’s counterpart on Oct. 10.
Officials said the citizen had been among passengers traveling from Uganda to Congo, with a transit stop in Uganda. Before continuing to Mogadishu, he spent the night at a hotel near Entebbe Airport.
Somalia’s Immigration and Nationality Agency confirmed his arrival at Mogadishu airport on Oct. 11. He underwent routine health screening for incoming travelers before authorities identified his connection to the person who died of Ebola.
The ministry said officials moved him to the Forlanini Hospital quarantine facility as a precaution aimed at protecting the public and limiting any potential spread of the disease.
It emphasized that the citizen has not been diagnosed with Ebola and remains under medical evaluation and continuous observation.
The ministry called on the public to remain alert, avoid circulating unverified reports and rely on guidance issued by health authorities.
Somalia recently introduced screening for travelers arriving from African countries after Kenya confirmed an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease.
Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adan said Thursday that medical teams had been stationed at airports to monitor passengers arriving from African countries, particularly in response to the confirmed case in neighboring Kenya.
