U.S. border health officials will initiate examinations of arrivals from Rwanda, focusing on potential Marburg virus carriers.
No verified instances of Marburg virus disease, a lethal hemorrhagic illness akin to Ebola, have surfaced outside Rwanda. Authorities have stated that the risk to the USA is minimal at the moment. Nonetheless, the HHS has announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will commence public health entry screenings starting from the week of October 14th. This move is intended to curtail the probability of transporting and propagating instances.
The CDC has also released a Level 3 Travel Health Notice, recommending that people reconsider non-essential travel to Rwanda. Furthermore, automated messages are being dispatched to air passengers arriving from Rwanda, furnishing information and guidelines.
As of Monday, 56 cases of Marburg have been affirmed in Rwanda by the Health Ministry, with 36 individuals in isolation and treatment, and 12 fatalities. The majority of these cases are linked to healthcare workers, according to the CDC.
Marburg is an orthomarburgvirus, a virus inherently present in fruit bats. It pertains to the same family as the Ebola virus. Marburg can be transmitted from one person to another when an individual comes into contact with infected human bodily fluids. It's also conceivable to contract the disease by dealing with an infected person's clothing or bedding.
Marburg isn't an airborne virus, such as COVID-19's coronavirus, making it slightly less challenging to manage, experts contend.
Symptoms might not manifest until three weeks following exposure to the virus. The ailment often begins with a skin rash and fever. Nausea and severe headaches, along with muscle aches, are common. In severe instances, patients may bleed from the nose, mouth, and eyes, and internal bleeding is manifested through blood in vomit, urine, and stool. Severe bleeding can result in shock and death in up to 90% of cases.
There are no specific vaccines or remedies for Marburg. Treatment consists of rest and fluid intake.
The CDC and the World Health Organization have dispatched teams of experts to Rwanda to lend guidance and aid to local public health workers.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett issued a statement Monday, stating that the U.S. government is cooperating closely with Rwanda to manage the outbreak.
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“Since becoming aware of this outbreak, the United States has pledged to supply nearly $11 million to address immediate health necessities in Rwanda and nearby countries, including assistance for surveillance and contact tracing, infection prevention and control guidelines, and exit screening at Rwanda’s airport and neighboring border crossings,” he stated. “Although there are no FDA-approved vaccines or drugs against MVD, the United States contributed hundreds of investigational vaccine doses and a modest number of investigational therapeutic doses, which arrived in Rwanda over the weekend.”
In a disposal last week, the CDC cautioned U.S. healthcare providers to keep an eye out for potential Marburg symptoms in patients with a travel history and to isolate patients exhibiting symptoms and at high risk of the illness until they test negative. Travelers to the outbreak area are advised to avoid medical facilities except for urgent medical care.
CNN's Jen Christensen and Donald Judd contributed to this report.
The HHS and CDC are taking various measures to ensure public health, such as commencing entry screenings and releasing travel advisories, to protect people from Marburg, a deadly virus. According to the CDC, Marburg is less challenging to manage compared to airborne viruses like COVID-19 due to its transmission methods, such as human bodily fluids and contaminated materials.
Despite the minimal risk to the USA, the White House National Security Council has stated its commitment to cooperating closely with Rwanda to manage the outbreak and provided support for addressing immediate health needs in Rwanda and neighboring countries.
