Rospotrebnadzor will send 1,000 Ebola diagnostic tests to the Republic of Congo

Rospotrebnadzor will send a batch of tests to the Republic of Congo to detect the Bundibugio virus and a team of specialists. This was reported on June 4 in the press service of Rospotrebnadzor.

"In order to prevent the further spread of Ebola in African countries, Rospotrebnadzor is sending a team of specialists to the Republic of the Congo, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is the most affected by the current outbreak. Russian scientists will also deliver 1,000 tests and reagents for PCR diagnostics of the Bundibugio virus to Brazzaville," the report says.

As noted in the department, diagnostic tools are the latest development of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. Their effectiveness was confirmed during the work of Russian specialists in Uganda at the end of May.

The press service clarified that in the Republic of the Congo, Rospotrebnadzor will train local specialists to work with test systems. The agency will also provide scientific and methodological support in carrying out anti-epidemic measures using a mobile laboratory delivered to Brazzaville in 2025.

The next stage in the development of Russian-Congolese cooperation in the field of epidemic control will be the creation of a joint center for epidemiology and infection prevention in the republic. Rospotrebnadzor believes that this will strengthen the system of protection of Russia and African countries from biological threats in the future.

WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak in Africa an emergency of international importance. What you need to know

On May 15, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. On May 24, Reuters reported that 900 possible cases of infection had been identified in the DRC as part of measures to combat Ebola. Later, on May 25, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the deaths of 220 people in the DRC since the outbreak of Ebola.

Natalia Pshenichnaya, Deputy Director for Clinical and Analytical Work at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, reported on June 4 that there is currently no risk of the spread or import of the Ebola virus into Russia. According to her, to assess and minimize risks, specialists monitor the epidemiological situation around the clock using the Perimeter system. In addition, sanitary and quarantine control at checkpoints across the Russian state border has been strengthened.