Emergency responders transported a patient exhibiting symptoms of a serious infectious disease from Tábor Hospital to a specialized infectious disease unit in Prague Friday night.
Authorities initiated the operation due to concerns the patient may have contracted a highly infectious illness such as Ebola after returning from Africa.
According to Novinky.cz, the patient — an American citizen — arrived in the Czech Republic on May 6th following travel through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. The Czech Ministry of Health reported that he came into contact with 26 individuals while in the country. Health authorities have traced and are currently monitoring all of them.
Tábor firefighters and a specialized biohazard team from South Bohemian Emergency Medical Services carried out the transport under strict biohazard protocols. They moved the patient securely inside a biocontainment unit from the hospital room to the waiting ambulance.
Following established procedures, teams underwent thorough decontamination, including disinfection of hospital corridors, elevators, and all equipment used.
A specialized firefighting unit from Křemže assisted with broader decontamination of the hospital premises after the patient’s departure.
The patient was admitted to the infectious disease department at Prague’s Bulovka Hospital, where further tests will determine the exact nature of the illness.
Update – May 17th 2025
Czech Health Minister Vlastimil Válek has confirmed that the patient hospitalized at Prague’s Bulovka Hospital has tested negative for the Ebola virus, as well as for other filoviruses and hemorrhagic fever pathogens. The results were delivered by Germany’s Robert Koch Institute and definitively ruled out any such infection.
The health minister thanked emergency responders and medical staff for their swift and professional response, emphasizing that all involved followed clearly defined and regularly rehearsed emergency protocols.
Photo credit: HZS Jihočeského kraje
Leave a Reply