MILAN, Italy, Sept. 23 -- The risk of Ebola virus spreading to the European Union (EU) remains low, but vigilance must stay high, EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg said here on Tuesday.

"I repeat that the risk of the Ebola virus spreading to the EU remains low," Borg told a press conference at the end of a two-day informal meeting of the EU health ministers in Italy, which is holding the EU rotating presidency.

Borg explained some reasons for this view. "First of all, someone would be too weak to travel if he or she is showing symptoms of the disease. Secondly, the disease is not contagious unless there are the symptoms," he said.

Third, the commissioner went on saying, there are controls at the airports and fourth "the EU health systems are well organized and the hygienic standards are extremely high."

However, he highlighted, the EU "should remain vigilant" and health ministers have agreed to share information, establish links among healthcare facilities to treat patients with the disease and help staff involved in evacuation from affected areas.

Borg said the EU has a "moral obligation" to help countries which are hit by virus Ebola but also a "concrete responsibility" to avoid that the disease could spread to the European continent.

The EU has been active and earlier this month allocated 140 million euros (nearly 180 million U.S. dollars) of funding for the countries affected by the disease in West Africa, he stressed.

The package will help weaker countries such as Liberia, where he noted there is just one doctor for every 100,000 citizens, bolster health service through reinforcing treatment centers or support for health workers.

The health program will be effective both during the crisis as well as in the recovery phase, Borg recalled.