Experts have assessed the likelihood of the spread of chikungunya fever in Russia
Chikungunya fever, an outbreak of which has been registered in one of the provinces of China, may reach Russia, experts interviewed by Izvestia believe.
As explained by the epidemiologist and former chief sanitary doctor of the country Gennady Onishchenko, the infection is transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, which in Russia is found in the southern regions.
"This causes concern," the expert stressed.
At the same time, according to him, despite the fact that the virus has been known since 1952, there have been no outbreaks in Russia so far.
Aedes mosquitoes can also lead to human infection with dengue fever, yellow fever or Zika virus, said immunologist Mikhail Bolkov.
According to experts, there is also a risk of contracting chikungunya fever in regions located on the border with China — in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories, the Amur Region.
Rospotrebnadzor reported that the disease is not transmitted from person to person. However, Gennady Onishchenko noted that chikungunya fever can be contracted by contact with the patient's blood. Also, according to him, it is possible to transmit the disease from mother to fetus.
Currently, there are no imported cases of chikungunya fever in Russia, but there are risks of its importation, Rospotrebnadzor noted.
According to WHO, chikungunya fever is already widespread in more than 110 countries and there are risks of its spread worldwide.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
