Israel rules out Ebola cases after suspected patients test negative

Israel's Health Ministry confirmed Tuesday that two suspected Ebola cases hospitalized in Haifa and Tel Hashomer have tested negative for the virus. The patients had recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and presented symptoms requiring isolation and strict medical protocols.

Their hospitalizations had prompted heightened preparedness across Israel's health system. However, the negative test results have eased concerns about the country's first potential Ebola case. Both individuals will continue to receive medical treatment for their existing conditions.

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As the ministry emphasizes, a fever following travel from affected areas requires immediate assessment, but Ebola remains rare among returning travelers.

The ministry reiterated that Ebola is not an airborne disease and requires direct contact with bodily fluids. The World Health Organization has classified the current outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo strain, as primarily concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with hundreds of confirmed and suspected cases.

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Officials stressed that no confirmed Ebola cases have been detected in Israel at this time.