Recent tests on two suspected Ebola patients isolated at Sacco Hospital in Milan have returned negative, with Italy’s Health Ministry emphasizing that the risk of Ebola in the country is “very low.”
This follows a health alert in Lombardy after two suspected cases were identified in Como. The individuals involved—a woman from Lurate Caccivio and a man from Bulgarograsso—recently returned from Uganda, where they had worked as humanitarian aid workers for about three months.
They were transferred to a specialized facility for high-risk infectious diseases upon exhibiting symptoms similar to those of hemorrhagic fever. Tests were conducted in accordance with national and international health protocols.
Officials assure low Ebola risk in Italy
The woman was described as having a more severe condition, having developed a high fever and neurological symptoms that led doctors to suspect cerebral malaria. In contrast, the man had a milder case with only moderate fever and gastrointestinal issues.
Guido Bertolaso, Lombardy’s regional welfare minister, confirmed that emergency measures were activated but reiterated that there is no official confirmation of the virus’s presence. He remarked, “There is still no certainty that this is Ebola,” speaking at a press conference shortly before the test results were released.
Bertolaso also criticized the premature sharing of images and statements surrounding the case, stating that the activated protocols were merely precautionary as per international health guidelines.
He noted that some of the public messaging might have unnecessarily heightened public concern before any clinical confirmation was made.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reiterated that the risk of Ebola remains “very low.” They confirmed that Italy’s preparedness and response system for infectious emergencies is fully functional and continues to monitor the situation for other family members who traveled with the two patients from Uganda.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak is primarily concentrated in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which shares a border with Uganda. As of Monday, there have been some seven verified cases of the hemorrhagic virus reported by officials in Kampala.
