ABU DHABI: In view of the recent outbreak of the Marburg virus, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued a fresh advisory asking its citizens to avoid traveling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea unless it’s necessary.
The advisory which was posted on the social media channels of the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) on Monday said-“The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has urged the public to be aware of the virus-causing Marburg hemorrhagic fever and to avoid traveling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea unless it’s necessary due to the recent spread of Marburg virus.
It added that necessary precautions are being taken to restrict the geographical spread of the disease in accordance with international standards. It has warned against close contact with patients, touching contaminated surfaces, and refraining from visiting caves and mines.
The advisory further urged medical staff who have traveled to the affected areas where the Marburg virus disease is spreading, or whether they have been in contact with infected individuals or exhibited symptoms for up to 21 days to inform the hospital authorities.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia and Oman issued similar warnings as the World Health Organization estimated that the death toll from the outbreak is double what authorities have been reporting.
The Marburg virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that can have a fatality rate of up to 88 percent, according to the WHO. The virus causes severe fever, often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure. It is passed on to people from fruit bats and belongs to the same family as that of Ebola. Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania are facing outbreaks of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious and deadly disease similar to Ebola, as per the World Health Organization (WHO)