SAHARA REPORTERS
The United States has issued a travel advisory to its citizens in the wake of the breakout of Marburg virus, said to be deadly.
Citizens of the United States were warned about traveling to Rwanda due to the prevalence of the disease.
Information released from Rwanda over the weekend noted that the Ebola-like disease has killed 12 people, mostly health workers since an outbreak was announced late last month.
The virus is also said to have a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent.
Some of the aftermath of the infection is; infectious hemorrhagic fever often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.
The Rwandan health ministry noted that 41 people have been confirmed to have contracted the disease.
It said temperature checks, passenger questionnaires and hand-sanitizing stations would be introduced at departure points and called on travellers to monitor themselves for symptoms such as fever.
Already, Rwanda has kicked off a vaccination campaign with 700 trial vaccines.
As of the time of this report there are no officially approved vaccines and no antiviral treatments.
The travel advisory to Rwanda has been raised to level three, the US State Department said, meaning Americans “should reconsider travel to Rwanda.”
Should the scale get to 4, it would mean that United States has asked its citizens not to travel to a country at all.
Marburg is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and is part of the so-called filovirus family that also includes Ebola.
Potential treatments, including blood products, and immune and drug therapies are being evaluated.
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