The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a global health advisory following the Marburg virus outbreaks in Guinea and Tanzania, warning travelers to avoid contact with sick individuals and healthcare facilities in the affected areas.
The Marburg virus is a highly infectious disease with epidemic potential, with fever, chills, muscle pain, rash, sore throat, diarrhea, and unexplained bleeding or bruising among the symptoms.
Equatorial Guinea has reported nine confirmed and 20 probable cases of the virus, all of whom have died, according to the World Health Organization. Tanzania has also confirmed eight cases, including five fatalities. The CDC has deployed its National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases to Africa to help stop the spread of the virus.
The Marburg virus is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and contaminated objects such as clothing, bedding, needles, and medical equipment, as well as through contact with animals such as bats.
The CDC has previously investigated the virus in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, where tourists and nearby villages experienced outbreaks, leading scientists to track the movements of bats with GPS units to better understand how the virus is transmitted to humans.