Israel's Health Ministry announced Friday that a person who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested negative for the Ebola virus, according to Israeli broadcaster N12. The individual was placed in isolation while awaiting results; the negative finding clears the suspected case.
Israel's Health Ministry announced Friday morning that a traveler who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has tested negative for the Ebola virus, clearing the suspected case. The patient, who was isolated at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva since Tuesday, developed a fever after returning from the outbreak-hit region. The negative results were confirmed by the ministry, with no further details on the patient's condition released.
The case was first reported by The Zioneer on Tuesday, August 11 at 08:37 Jerusalem, when the traveler was placed in isolation at Soroka under suspicion of carrying the virus. Over the course of that day, reports evolved from an initial probe into a single patient to confirmed hospitalization and isolation, with laboratory tests described as underway. All seven updates from the day maintained the same published timestamp, reflecting a rapid sequence of official disclosures.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to contend with one of the largest Ebola outbreaks on record. As The Zioneer reported on July 1, the outbreak had reached 1,333 confirmed cases and 399 deaths; by August 7, confirmed cases had surpassed 4,000. Israel has previously dealt with suspected cases from returnees; on June 23, The Zioneer reported that two earlier returnees were cleared of Ebola. Travel warnings for the region remained in effect through the period.
With this negative result, no active Ebola concerns remain from this particular suspected case. The broader outbreak in the DRC, however, continues to be monitored by Israeli health authorities, and screening protocols for returnees remain in place.
7 developments
- StrongHealth Ministry clears two returnees from Congo of suspected Ebola
- StrongIsrael activates Ebola emergency protocols after traveler from Congo hospitalized in Haifa
- StrongHealth Ministry: results on suspected Ebola case due within two days
- DevelopingIsrael's Health Ministry warns against non-essential travel to Uganda, DRC; prepares for possible Ebola arrival
Source and signal
- Open-source intake