Cyprus prepared in advance for Ebola: measures at airports and ports have been worked out

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Cyprus urgently activated the national infection control action plan. The reason was the official confirmation on 24 June 2026 in France of the first imported case of Ebola fever (the patient was a doctor who had returned from a humanitarian mission). Despite the fact that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO assess the current risk of the virus spreading among the population of Europe as low, Cypriot medical services have been placed on heightened alert. Historically, not a single case of infection with this virus has ever been recorded in Cyprus.

The package of measures adopted within the country:
— Protocols for medical staff. The Ministry of Health has prepared and circulated detailed clinical guidelines to all public hospitals, private clinics and general practitioner associations. The document regulates the procedure to be followed when identifying patients with symptoms that fall under the definition of a suspected case.
— Reference hospital. The Nicosia General Hospital has been designated as the main centre for the isolation and treatment of potential patients. The hospital staff have been instructed in the standards of strict infection control and provided with high-level isolation personal protective equipment, updated taking into account experience from previous years.
— Laboratory readiness. Relevant state laboratories have been equipped with test systems and reagents for rapid diagnostics and strain verification.

Strengthening sanitary control at the borders:
Against the backdrop of the peak summer tourist season and stable migration flows, special attention has been paid to the country’s entry points. The Director General of the Ministry of Health, Elisavet Constantinou, reported an expanded interagency meeting, following which the procedure for staff at international airports (Larnaca, Paphos), seaports and checkpoint control points (CCPs) was approved:
— Information. Information leaflets for travellers are being deployed at CCPs and in arrival areas.
— Screening criteria. Medical screening at airports is focused exclusively on identifying individuals with a direct epidemiological connection (travel, transit) to countries in equatorial Africa where the outbreak has been recorded. If a suspicious passenger is detected, the protocol for immediate isolation and contact tracing is activated.

Epidemiological context and the specifics of the strain:
The situation is complicated by the characteristics of the current African outbreak, which has been recognised as the second largest in history and is spreading faster than previous ones. Infectious disease specialist Dr Maria Koliou (University of Cyprus) draws attention to the structure of the pathogen:
— Viral threat. The current large-scale epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda (as of the end of June 2026, more than 1,100 cases and over 300 deaths have been confirmed) is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain (Bundibugyo).
— Lack of specific therapy. Unlike the deadly Zaire strain (Zaire ebolavirus), against which the certified Ervebo vaccine is successfully used, there is currently neither an WHO-approved vaccine nor a commercial specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain. All drugs currently used are at the stage of experimental clinical trials.
— Transmission mechanism. The WHO emphasises that Ebola virus is not transmitted by airborne droplets. Infection is possible only through direct contact with the blood, secretions or other biological fluids of an infected person (or animal, including bats), which significantly reduces the risk of a large-scale uncontrolled pandemic in urban areas of the EU.