London: Professor Peter Piot who discovered Ebola in 1976 fears that it might spread to India. In an interview with British newspaper 'The Guardian', he expressed concerns over India's ability to prevent the deadly disease from entering India.
He said, "There will certainly be Ebola patients from Africa who come to us in the hopes of receiving treatment. And they might even infect a few people here who may then die. But an outbreak in Europe or North America would quickly be brought under control. I am more worried about the many people from India who work in trade or industry in West Africa. It would only take one of them to become infected, travel to India to visit relatives during the virus's incubation period, and then, once he becomes sick, go to a public hospital there. Doctors and nurses in India, too, often don't wear protective gloves. They would immediately become infected and spread the virus."
Professor Peter Piot, the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, was a researcher at a lab in Antwerp when a pilot brought him a blood sample from a Belgian nun who had fallen mysteriously ill in Zaire (now known as DR Congo).
He said, "In 1976 I discovered Ebola, now I fear an unimaginable tragedy."
A large number of Indians work or engaged in trade and commerce in the Western African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, DR Congo, Congo Brazwille, Angola, Namibia etc.
The government of African nations has put all international airports in India on alert and the passengers from India are made to go for a compulsory medical check up before exiting the airport.
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