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April 1, 2023 | 10:09pm
Marburg cases have been reported in Guinea and Tanzania.
Fox News
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending staff to Africa to combat a rare, deadly viral outbreak that has killed 12 people since February.
Marburg — a viral hemorrhagic fever — has never been reported in Guinea or Tanzania, where cases have surged over the past few weeks, the World Health Organization said.
The The CDC warns that Marburg It is “a rare and deadly disease” that can be spread by contaminated objects and animals, such as fruit bats and primates.
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, chest pain, and unexplained bleeding or sores.
“Marburg virus infection is often fatal. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for Marburg,” the agency warns.
The agency is sending its National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases to two regions on opposite sides of the country where the disease is spreading.
The CDC plans to post notices at international airports warning them of symptoms of the disease.
Although the CDC has not implemented any travel restrictions, the WHO is warning against “any travel and trade restrictions” with Guinea or Tanzania.
Guinea was the first to report this disease February 7 – Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reveals that eight people died in two separate villages on the same day.
The agency reported 20 possible cases and one additional death as of March 21.
Since March 16, Tanzania – on the opposite side of Africa – has reported eight cases, including five deaths in Marburg.
The first confirmed case in Tanzania brought the virus to his village after traveling from Lake Gojiba Island in Victoria, another part of the country. WHO said.
It is not clear how Marburg entered the country.
