India has quarantined a man who was cured of Ebola in Liberia because of the possibility that he may spread the virus through sex.

The man tested negative for Ebola in standard checks when he arrived at Delhi airport.

However, officials said he was being quarantined because the virus was still present in his semen - and could be transmitted by the "sexual route".

Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people this year, mostly in West Africa.

Most of the cases in the latest outbreak - the deadliest ever - have been recorded in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Men who have been successfully treated for the disease are advised against having sex - or to make sure they use a condom - because their semen can still carry traces of the virus for up to 90 days after they have been cured.

'Abundant caution'

The Indian Health Ministry¹ said the man, a 26-year-old Indian national, had arrived in the country on 10 November.

He had been carrying documents with him that stated he had been successfully treated for Ebola in Liberia.

He was tested for the disease according to the guidelines of the World Heath Organization (WHO). No traces of the virus were found - effectively confirming that he had been cured.

According to a government press release, however, the man was isolated² at Delhi airport "as a matter of abundant caution".

Semen samples were then taken, which tested positive for the virus.

The ministry said the man would be kept in isolation³ until the virus was no longer present in his body.

Many experts fear Ebola could wreak⁴ havoc⁵ if it reached India because of poor public hygiene⁶ and the lack of basic health services in many areas.

There are nearly 45,000 Indian nationals living in West Africa, according to the Reuters news agency.

No cases of Ebola have been reported in India.

印度卫生部已将一名携带埃博拉病毒的男子隔离，理由是该男子或有通过性行为传播病毒的可能性。据悉，这名男子从利比里亚回国。

经印度卫生部检验，该男子乘机抵达新德里国际机场时，血液样本呈阴性。

然而，印度官方指出，目前该男子已被隔离。因为其精液中仍然存在埃博拉病毒，说明仍可能通过性接触传染给其他人。

数据显示，截至目前，全球已有超过5000人因感染埃博拉病毒失去生命，西非地区疫情最为严重。

在近期这次最致命的埃博拉病毒爆发中，利比里亚、几内亚和塞拉利昂这三个国家的病例最多。

即便一名患者已经确认痊愈，病毒仍有可能在他的精液中存活达90天的时间。因此建议埃博拉病毒患者应在此期间避免性行为，或者使用避孕套等防护措施。

“谨慎的考虑”

印度卫生部称，该男子是一名26岁的印度人，11月10日乘机抵达印度。

他携带着利比里亚方面提供的埃博拉痊愈证明材料。

而且当时对该男子的检测方法符合世界卫生组织（WHO）的规定。检测显示，病毒成分不存在，实际上就证明他已经痊愈。

印度官方宣称，“出于谨慎的考虑”，这名男子目前被隔离在新德里国际机场。

其精液样本检测病毒为“阳性”。

印度卫生部说，该男子将继续被隔离一段时间，直到其体液检测不再具有埃博拉病毒。

由于很多地区公共卫生滞后且基础医疗服务缺失，很多专家担心一旦埃博拉病毒到达印度，会引起大肆虐。

据路透社报道，有将近4.5万印度人居住在西非。

而目前在印度，并没有埃博拉病毒的相关报道。