The patient’s blood sample was flown in from New Delhi to Pune on Tuesday

The National Institute of Virology has ruled out traces of the lethal Ebola and Marburg viruses in a highly-suspected case after the patient’s blood sample, tested here, turned out to be negative.

The patient’s blood sample was flown in from New Delhi on Tuesday after doctors at the National Centre for Disease Control there had screened him.

“He is said to be a frequent traveler to Nigeria and had exhibited several Ebola-like symptoms, including hemorrhagic fever,” said Dr. D.T. Mourya, director, NIV.

“This is the only sample we have received so far which was highly suspected for Ebola, but it has tested negative after carrying out the Reverse Transcription Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test,” said Dr. B.V. Tandale, scientist, NIV, speaking to The Hindu.

Likewise, Dr. Mourya said that tests for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus), also turned out be negative.

Urging public restraint and emphasizing awareness about the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Health Department has charted a contingency plan to combat Ebola.

Ten beds and five cubicles in the quarantine ward have been reserved at the city’s Naidu Hospital to tackle any emergency, said Dr. S. T. Pardeshi, acting medical chief, PMC. In addition, the city’s Sassoon Hospital has been asked to establish 25 beds with ICU management, while the NIV has been asked to come up with a control room for spreading awareness on EVD.