Zanzibar officials say Saudi Arabian and UAE travelers are ‘not at risk’ of deadly Marburg virus

Zanzibar government officials have moved to ease fears Marburg virus – said travelers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council should “not worry” about catching the potentially life-threatening disease in the Indian Ocean islands.

Speaking to Al Arabiya English, Zanzibar’s revolutionary government said they wanted to reiterate that “there are no cases of Marburg virus on the island”.

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“Thus, travelers from Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC can rest assured that their health will in no way be at risk,” the official said.

In February and March 2023, two very different Marburg virus outbreak It has been reported from Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. These outbreaks mark the first time Marburg virus has been detected at these two sites. Zanzibar is an archipelago off the coast of Tanzania.

Earlier this month, the UAE issued its second health Warning against Marburg virusurging its citizens and residents to take precautionary measures and avoid travel to countries with reported outbreaks.

“The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has urged the public to be aware of the virus that causes Marburg hemorrhagic fever and to avoid travel to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea unless it is necessary due to the recent spread of the Marburg virus,” the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported at the time.

“The ministry stressed that all necessary precautionary measures are being taken in accordance with international health standards to contain the virus within its current geographical range. The situation in these countries is being closely monitored to determine the global severity of the disease,” the ministry said in a statement. said in a statement.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Oman advised against travel to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania because Marburg virus outbreak.

However, authorities in Zanzibar insisted it was business as usual.

“Tourists, business leaders and relevant stakeholders intending to visit Zanzibar should be aware that the virus was first detected in March in the Kagera region in the north-west of mainland Tanzania, about 1,500 kilometers from Zanzibar and the mainland, and is not frequently visited by tourists. patronize transit destinations in Dar es Salaam,” the official said.

“Additionally, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of the United Republic of Tanzania have confirmed that the virus is contained in the region and the country is now considered safe for travellers.”

Zanzibar Tourism Minister Simai M Said told Al Arabiya English: “The governments of Zanzibar and Tanzania immediately deployed rapid response teams to the area to trace contacts and monitor risk communication activities, thus bringing the situation under control.”

These measures have proven “very successful in limiting the spread of the virus in the Kagera region”, he added. All patients were treated according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Color visualization of electron micrographs of Marburg virus. (Data map)

“Of the eight patients who contracted the virus, only one remains under observation. Given that our memories of COVID-19 are still fresh, we understand that people can be cautious when learning about new infections. However, this concern is often Unfounded, as is the case now,” Saeed added.

Saeed noted that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zanzibar had “standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place for all tourism entities to ensure they strictly adhered to the international health and safety standards required by the World Health Organization”. These SOPs are still in effect today and were activated immediately after the first Marburg virus case was reported, he said.

“As we prepare for the annual influx of tourists from Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, they can rest assured that the virus is contained and poses no threat to them or the citizens of Zanzibar” added.

Marburg virus is a life-threatening illness that causes a high fever with bleeding from organ failure, jaundice and other serious health complications. It spreads from animals to humans in closed environments, such as mines or caves where bats live.

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