Russia tightens border health controls over Ebola risk

Russia has tightened sanitary controls at its borders over the risk of Ebola entering the country, Anna Popova, head of Russia’s consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Popova said specialists from the agency, together with the Border Service, were screening all people arriving in Russia. The checks also cover transit routes from regions with an unfavourable epidemiological situation.

If passengers are found to have symptoms indicating a deterioration in their health, they are immediately hospitalised, she added.

“The entire system is in place to ensure that we have no risks,” Popova said.

In May, authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced an Ebola outbreak in the country. The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or approved treatment.

Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) believe the spread of the disease may have begun as early as February. As of the end of August, 5,600 people had been infected with the virus, of whom 2,700 had died.

By Vugar Khalilov