MOSCOW, October 10 (RIA Novosti) – The current Ebola disease epidemic is the largest to date, but most of its characteristics are within the range typical for previous outbreaks, the Head of Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova said Friday.
"This once again proves that it is possible to counter the disease, methods are known," Popova said.
The Rospotrebnadzor chief added that the deadly virus does not spread fast within the community, but is extremely contagious, especially through direct contact with skin, which explains the high level of morbidity among medical workers.
Popova also noted that 101 students, returning from African countries, where the Ebola epidemic is concentrated, to study in Russia are currently under supervision.
A team of Russian epidemiologists, virologists and bacteriologists from Rospotrebnadzor is currently stationed in Guinea, where the Ebola epidemic started in February. The disease later spread across Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal, with several cases having been reported in the United States and Europe.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3866 people have been killed by Ebola in West Africa and a total of 8034 have been affected.
Healthcare workers are at the highest risk of contracting Ebola, which is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of those infected. Though there is no officially approved medication for the disease, several countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan are currently working on developing Ebola vaccines.
