Moscow - Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Monday that it had strengthened quarantine control over flights from Egypt due to cases of an unknown disease being reported in the country earlier in the day.
"In light of the current situation, Rospotrebnadzor has strengthened quarantine control, including by means of the Perimeter automated information system, over incoming flights from Egypt," the watchdog said in a statement.
Rospotrebnadzor added that the symptoms of the unknown disease are similar to those of the Dengue fever.
The watchdog said that it is cooperating with Egypt and international health organisations to obtain additional information about the nature of the disease, the risk of its trans-boundary spread, as well as about preventative and anti-epidemic measures.
"Rospotrebnadzor warns tourists planning [to spend] their vacation in Egypt: to prevent insect-borne infectious and parasitic diseases, precaution measures must be taken: [you need to] wear clothes that covers your skin to the maximum, use repellents and insecticides, close the doors and windows of your rooms.
“After returning from a foreign country and in the event your health condition worsens, you should consult a doctor and be sure to inform them of where you have travelled," the watchdog said.
The Dengue fever is borne by Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, Rospotrebnadzor added.
If the carrier of the disease is not present in the country, an infected person presents no epidemic risks, the watchdog said.