Bhubaneswar: The authorities of Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in the Odisha capital here have intensified surveillance amid global concern over Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa. 

The BPIA authorities have introduced the precautionary protocols against Ebola virus following an advisory in this regard from the Health Ministry.

As per the Ebola protocols, the BPIA authorities will conduct thermal screening of passengers and verify their 21-day travel history.

All suspected cases will be recommended for Ebola tests as per the guidelines of the Health Ministry, said BPIA Director Prasanna Pradhan.

“The Health Ministry has issued the Ebola advisory for all international airports in the country. We have intensified surveillance on international passengers at BPIA,” Pradhan added.

As per reports, Ebola can spread from animals to humans as well as through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. The incubation period of the disease ranges from two to 21 days, while fever, sore throat, headache and flu-like symptoms are among the early warning signs. The mortality rate ranges between 30 and 50 per cent.

Among the five reported species of the Ebola virus, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola Virus (BDBV) variant, reports said.