New travel warning issued following Marburg outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that travelers returning from Rwanda will undergo health monitoring starting this week, and the Health Ministry has also published guidelines for travelers on Sunday morning.

The announcement follows the death of 11 people from the Marburg virus in Rwanda, with another 25 infected, in what the country had declared as an outbreak on September 27.

Similar to Ebola, the rare disease can be fatal in up to 88% of those infected, depending on the strain of the virus and how the infection is being treated. For this reason, authorities in Germany were vigilant, and when two train passengers were suspected of carrying the virus on October 2, two tracks at Hamburg's central station were closed. Both tested negative for the virus.

As of October 2, Rwanda has 36 confirmed cases, including at least 19 healthcare workers, most of whom work in intensive care units. Some cases are of unknown origin, indicating that additional cases may not have been identified or reported, according to a health alert published on October 3 by the CDC.

What is the Marburg virus?

Marburg virus disease, also known as Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever, is typically found in sub-Saharan Africa. The disease was first identified in 1967 following outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, and it is caused by the Marburg or Ravn virus. 

These viruses are naturally found in fruit bats residing in caves throughout Africa and the Middle East and can transmit the disease to humans and animals through their secretions. Animals can become infected with Marburg by consuming fruit that bats have fed on or by being bitten by an infected bat. Humans can contract the virus through contact with infected animals or contaminated needles, objects, or surfaces.

Marburg spreads through contact with bodily fluids—blood, urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, or semen—from someone infected with the virus through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth. Marburg is not an airborne disease.

Symptoms, which include fever, rash, and severe bleeding, can appear suddenly and worsen rapidly. There is no treatment for Marburg, and infection often leads to severe illness or death.