Lucknow, June 5 -- Airports across Uttar Pradesh have stepped up surveillance following the Centre's advisory on Ebola, even as health authorities maintain that the risk of the deadly viral disease reaching the state remains low. India has reported no Ebola cases so far, according to the Union health ministry. Officials at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA), as well as airports in Varanasi and Kushinagar, have implemented precautionary screening of international passengers. Airport officials said international passengers are being advised to report any symptoms that develop within 21 days of travel, the disease's maximum incubation period. "Since there are no direct flights connecting Lucknow, Varanasi or Kushinagar with African countries currently witnessing Ebola outbreaks, the possibility of an infected traveller arriving here is comparatively low," a senior airport official said. The Centre ramped up surveillance efforts after the World Health Organization raised concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Central Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Prof Radha Krishna Dhiman, director, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) described Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as a severe and often fatal illness caused by Ebola virus. The disease spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissues of infected persons or contaminated materials. Unlike Covid-19, Ebola is not an airborne disease and does not spread through casual contact. "Ebola transmission requires close physical contact with infected bodily fluids. Early detection, isolation and supportive treatment significantly improve survival chances," said Dr Dhiman. Symptoms usually appear between two and 21 days after exposure. Early signs include sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, sore throat and fatigue. As the disease progresses, patients may develop vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding. Dr Dhiman said that the most effective preventive measures include avoiding contact with infected individuals or their bodily fluids, maintaining hand hygiene, following travel advisories and promptly reporting symptoms after international travel. Meanwhile, Lokbandhu Hospital has reserved six beds for Ebola patients....