RIA Novosti: Ebola in Russia Possible, But Serious Outbreak Unlikely: Public Health Watchdog
MOSCOW, October 9 (RIA Novosti) – A serious outbreak of Ebola virus is unlikely in Russia, although sporadic infections among Russians who traveled abroad are possible, the head of Russia’s public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Thursday.
“No hysterical reports have ever been made for the Russian Federation, and will never be made, because the situation is under control and all necessary precautions are being taken. It is certainly possible that contaminated people will come from abroad, but such cases cannot be forecasted accurately,” agency chief Anna Popova said.
She said Russia currently considers sending more teams of Russian doctors to fight the outbreak inWest Africa.
“This issue is being considered,” Popova said.
A Russian anti-epidemic team, which includes epidemiologists, virologists and bacteriologists from Rospotrebnadzor, is currently stationed in Guinea, where it is working alongside foreign specialists to battle the disease.
Earlier on October 4, Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov said that the country is ready to provide aid to the West African countries fighting the outbreak of the deadly virus.
In late September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also stated that Russia would make an active contribution to the efforts of the global community in the fight against the Ebola virus epidemic.
Though there is no officially approved medication for the disease, several countries, including Russia are working on developing Ebola vaccines.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Olga Golodets said in early September that Russian specialists have been taking positive steps toward developing an Ebola vaccine, which is currently being tested.
The Ebola epidemic currently taking place in West Africa broke out in southern Guinea in February, and later spread across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death toll from the epidemic has surpassed 3,800.