MOSCOW, October 13 (RIA Novosti) – The import of the Ebola virus into Russia is possible but there are no conditions for the spread of the disease in the country, Russian Minister of Health Veronika Skvortsova said Monday.
“There are no self-sufficient conditions for the Ebola outbreak…, but as for imported cases, they are possible just like in any other country,” the minister said.
“Very serious measures have been taken to minimize the risk of an [Ebola cases] import,” the health official added.
The Ebola epidemic currently taking place in West Africa broke out in southern Guinea in February, and later spread across the entire region, with cases also having been reported in Spain and the United States. The number of people who have died from the Ebola virus has reached 4,033, while a total of 8,399 cases have been reported, according to WHO.
A Russian anti-epidemic team is currently stationed in Guinea, where it is working alongside foreign specialists to battle the disease.
The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected. Though there is no officially approved medication for the disease, several countries are currently working on developing Ebola vaccines. Earlier in the day, Skvortsova said that Russian scientists are preparing to test Ebola vaccine on primates.
