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DUBAI – The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) has advised residents who have traveled to countries with reported cases of Marburg virus disease to self-isolate upon return to the country.
The Ministry of Health advises travelers to seek medical attention at the nearest medical facility or emergency room within a hospital.
“Those who have traveled to affected areas should inform medical staff that they have traveled to an area where Marburg virus disease is circulating or have been in contact with an infected person,” Mohap said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health is also urging those who have symptoms of hemorrhagic fever for more than 21 days to seek medical help at a health facility.
Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania are currently facing outbreaks of the virus, with at least 14 deaths reported so far from the virus.
The UAE foreign ministry and authorities in several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have advised citizens not to travel to those countries because of the virus.
In an advisory issued on Tuesday, the UAE’s health ministry advised the public not to travel to the countries “unless absolutely necessary” and also to take precautionary measures.
“If travel is unavoidable, necessary precautions should be taken to avoid exposure to the disease, such as avoiding close contact with sick people, touching contaminated surfaces, and avoiding visits to caves and mines,” Mohap added.
What is Marburg virus
Marburg virus disease (MVD), formerly known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal human disease with an average case fatality rate of approximately 50%.
In past outbreaks, case fatality rates have ranged from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain and case management. According to WHO guidelines, early supportive care with fluid rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival.
Currently, there are no licensed treatments proven to neutralize the virus, but a range of blood products, immunotherapies and drug therapies are being developed.
Marburg virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is transmitted from person to person through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as surfaces and materials (e.g., bedding, clothing) that are infected by these liquid contamination.
Illness caused by Marburg virus begins suddenly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise, with muscle aches being a common feature. Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting can begin on the third day and the diarrhea can last for a week.
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