Russian man hospitalized in Kazakhstan shows no Ebola symptoms

According to the Russian Health Ministry, a Russian national hospitalized in Kazakhstan shows no Ebola symptoms.

A Russian citizen hospitalized early Sunday in Kazakhstan on suspicion of contracting the deadly Ebola virus is not exhibiting symptoms, the Russian Health Ministry's press service announced.

The man arrived in the Central Asian country from West Africa's Guinea via Istanbul, Turkey.

"According to the doctors, any specific symptoms characteristic of the disease have not been identified in this person. The likelihood that the patient's illness is caused by the Ebola virus is low," the ministry said in a statement.

Ebola is a deadly disease that spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, or upon contact with contaminated items. Symptoms include weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and the sudden onset of fever followed by vomiting, diarrhea and in some cases, internal and external bleeding.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization estimated the total number of people killed by the virus exceeded 10,000 out of 24,350 infected since the outbreak had begun in southern Guinea, then spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal.

Specific treatment or a scientifically tested vaccine against Ebola currently does not exist. A number of countries, including Russia, the United States, Japan and China, are developing a vaccine for the deadly virus.