Ebola alarm in the Czech Republic: all-clear after suspicion in Prague

Ebola alarm in the Czech Republic: all-clear after suspicion in Prague

Prag, Tschechien - An Ebola suspicion in the Czech Republic did not confirm on May 18, 2025. The Minister of Health Vlastimil Valek gave the all-clear after testing the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) excludes a disease of hemorrhagic fever. The US citizen, who had recently returned from Africa, is therefore not suspected of being ill. The suspicion was expressed on Friday evening after the American traveled to the Czech Republic on May 6 after spending time in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The patient is treated stably at the Bulovka Clinic in Prague.

A total of 26 contact persons were identified and taken into quarantine, with the majority of health staff. The procedure for tracking and quarantine measures reflects the seriousness with which potential Ebola cases are treated, given the high mortality rate of the virus, which is between 30 and 90 percent

transmission paths and risk factors

Ebola is one of the hemorrhagic fever, which are characterized by infections with special viruses. There is a risk of infection with direct contact with the blood or body fluids of infected or deceased persons, reports infection protection.de . The transmission is typically human when a person shows symptoms. Therefore, the risk of infection increases with the severity of these symptoms.

The Ebolavirus are zoonotic viruses that are originally transmitted to humans by animals. The reservoir hosts include various wild animals, especially flight dogs and great apes. Infected animals can transmit the virus through their body fluids, which brings additional risks through the consumption of raw meat wild animals (bush meat). People who come into contact with these wild animals are particularly at risk, as well as those who hunt them or prepare them.

prevention measures and vaccinations

In order to counteract the spread of the virus, it is important to vaccinate contact persons in outbreak areas at an early stage. These vaccinations are offered to not only prevent a disease, but also to stop the transmission of the virus. Vaccines against the Sudan-Bolavirus are currently under development, as on the pages of the Robert Koch-Instituts

remains that early diagnosis and strict measures to quarantine and the tracking of contacts are crucial for the control of potential Ebola outbreaks. In Germany, domestic wild animals are according to infection protection.de not carriers of the virus, but awareness of the transmission risks is of great importance, especially for travelers.