MOSCOW, September 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's federal public health agency Rospotrebnadzor has sent a cargo with personal protective equipment for healthcare workers battling the Ebola virus in Guinea, the agency's chief Anna Popova said on Friday.
"Rospotrebnadzor has sent a large volume of equipment from our anti-plague institute in Saratov to help [Guinea]. This is primarily means of individual protection, such as special overalls, masks, gloves. This is special protection for the doctors that are currently working alongside [Rospotrebnadzor] specialists to battle this disease in Guinea," Popova told reporters.
"We have planned a number of similar types of assistance," she added.
According to Rospotrebnadzor chief, Russian scientists are already experienced in diagnosing the Ebola virus.
"We have been able to verify the effectiveness of our diagnostic kits. As of today, we have three Russian-produced diagnostic systems, these are the only ones we are working with [in Guinea]. The Central Research Institute of Epidemiology has developed another kit for [Ebola] diagnosis. It works very effectively and is being registered in Russia today. With these testing systems, we are ready to assist our colleagues in other laboratories and other countries," 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 colleagues to battle the deadly Ebola virus.
The Ebola death toll in West Africa has risen to more than 2,600 since the epidemic started in February, according to the latest WHO estimates.
Cases of Ebola have been registered in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal. A separate outbreak, unrelated to the one in West Africa, is taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or tissue of infected animals or people. There is no officially approved medication for the disease, and experts claim prevention is the only cure. Several countries, including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan are currently working on vaccines.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister for social affairs Olga Golodets said that Russian specialists have been taking positive steps toward developing an Ebola vaccine, which is currently being systematically tested.
