A 25-year-old man from Theni, who arrived in Chennai by flight from Guinea, was transferred to the isolation ward of the hospital.

The 25-year-old man who was being monitored in an isolation ward at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for Ebola, was discharged on Sunday afternoon.

Doctors said his vital signs and blood tests were normal and he showed no signs of the virus. "He wanted to go to his hometown in Theni district and visit his father who is ill. As he was asymptomatic, we sent him home in a 108 ambulance. However, he will be monitored by local health authorities there," said Dr. S. Raghunandan, deputy medical superintendent at the hospital.

The man, who arrived on Saturday night from Guinea via Dubai, had been taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.He was kept in the isolation ward of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, where his health was being closely monitored by a team of doctors and staff who have taken the precautionary measures recommended.

The person arrived from the Western African nation to proceed towards his home in Theni district of Tamil Nadu. A team of health workers who have been put at the airport to check all passengers arriving from the Western African region, where the Ebola virus spread has been reported by the WHO, detained the passenger on precautionary grounds and transferred him to the hospital. The flight arrived at 8.45 p.m. and he was quickly transferred to the hospital. He has been placed under observation in the isolation ward 215.

Dr. Raghunandan told reporters earlier that a separate team of doctors and health workers have been deputed to observe the patient. They have all been provided with special goggles, gloves and boots which would be used while accessing the patient.

"A blood sample of the patient was sent to Pune (National Institute of Virology) and the results are expected within the next 24 to 48 hours," the doctor added.

The Union Health Ministry has opened a 24-hour "Emergency Operation Centre" from August 9, 2014. The helpline numbers are: 011-23061469, 23063205, 23061302.

Symptoms

The virus spreads through blood, sweat, semen, vomit, urine and saliva. The symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea, stomach ache, joint pain and bleeding.

To confirm the disease, the blood samples will be sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.