CDC will test travelers from Rwanda for Ebola-like Marburg virus

As health officials work furiously to stem the spread of Marburg virus in Rwanda, U.S. health officials announced Monday that all passengers flying from that country to the United States will soon be screened for the often deadly disease.

“Starting the week of October 14, CDC [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] will begin public health entry screening of travelers entering the United States who have been in Rwanda in the past 21 days,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “This screening aims to reduce the risk of importation of Marburg cases into the United States and the spread within U.S. communities.”

As of Monday, 56 cases of Marburg had been confirmed in Rwanda, with 36 people in isolation and treatment, and 12 deaths, according to that country’s Ministry of Health. No cases of Marburg virus have been reported in the United States at this point.

Travelers coming from Rwanda will be routed to one of three airports: Chicago O’Hare, JFK in New York and Washington Dulles in Virginia, the CDC said in a statement Monday, NBC News reported.

According to the statement, passengers landing at one of those airports will need to meet with CDC staffers for temperature checks and assessments of any other symptoms, such as sore throat, vomiting or rashes that often appear on the torso.

People infected by the virus can start showing symptoms two to 21 days after their exposure, according to the CDC.

Marburg is a virus that causes hemorrhagic fevers and internal bleeding, much like Ebola. Like Ebola, it spreads through contact with bodily fluids, including blood and semen. There is no treatment or vaccine. The death rate can be as high as 88%, according to the World Health Organization.

While the risk to the American public remains low, the CDC first began alerting U.S. doctors about Marburg last year.

In addition to the airport screening measures, the CDC issued a level 3 travel health notice on Monday, warning people against unnecessary travel to Rwanda.

The advisory suggested that anyone who must travel to the outbreak area watch for symptoms for 21 days.

“If you develop fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, chest pain, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or unexplained bleeding or bruising,” the advisory said, “isolate immediately and seek medical care.”

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