The São Paulo State Department of Health confirmed that the Ebola virus suspect tested positive for meningococcal meningitis, this Saturday (30). Research into Ebola and other viral strains, however, continues.
The patient is a 37-year-old man, who came from the Democratic Republic of Congo, .
“There is laboratory confirmation of the bacteria that causes meningococcal meningitis by the Adolfo Lutz Institute, within the differential diagnosis process. Even so, the investigation for Ebola remains ongoing until specific analyzes are completed”, says Regiane de Paula, Health coordinator at the SES-SP Disease Control Coordination.
The patient returned from a recent trip to the territory and presented symptoms such as feverwhich indicate possible contagion with the virus. The man follows admitted to the Emílio Ribas Institute of Infectious Diseasesa state reference hospital for this type of infection.
In 2014, the The site received three suspected cases of the disease, which were discarded. The Adolfo Lutz Institute will carry out laboratory investigation and differential diagnosis. There is still no confirmation that the patient has the disease, and the investigation was started preventively.
“The procedure includes isolation, immediate notification, laboratory investigation and monitoring in accordance with current protocols”, explains Regiane de Paula, Health coordinator at the SES-SP Disease Control Coordination.
Last week, the coordination updated the guidelines for the health network on how to deal with suspected cases of the Ebola virus, of the Bundibugyo strain, identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In the SES-SP assessment, the risk of introducing the disease into Brazil and South America is very lowbut the guidance is that health services maintain attention to cases in which patients have a fever and have visited places where the virus is circulating in the last 21 days.
