Suspected patients test negative for Ebola after returning to Israel from DRC, Health Ministry says

Two patients placed in isolation have tested negative for Ebola after returning to Israel from a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.

The individuals had gone into isolation at Sheba Medical Center and Ichilov Medical Center after developing after returning to Israel from the DRC, which is currently in the midst of an Ebola virus outbreak that has infected over 10,000 people since it was first declared in May and has killed over 5,000.

Both patients were tested in accordance with accepted international guidelines for dealing with high-risk infectious diseases.

The Ministry of Health emphasized that no confirmed cases of Ebola have been diagnosed in Israel.

Ebola outbreak spreads from DRC to Uganda, Kenya

The current Ebola outbreak has spread from the DRC to multiple other countries, including Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, where the Health Ministry recommends that individuals avoid traveling. 

The Health Ministry also recommends avoiding nonessential travel to South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Angola.

The outbreak is caused by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or cure. 

The disease is spread through contact with a sick person with symptoms or with the bodily fluids of an infected patient, those killed by the virus, contaminated objects, or infected animals.