In response to the unprecedented outbreak of infectious diseases, marburg virus In Rwanda, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now plans to screen arriving international travelers for the risk of bringing diseases like deadly Ebola into the country.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced on Monday that testing will be stepped up starting the week of October 14th for arriving travelers who have been in Rwanda within the past three weeks.
“While the risk of Marburg disease in the United States remains low, these steps are being taken out of an abundance of caution given the ongoing outbreak in Rwanda,” CDC Spokesman David Daigle said in a statement. said.
Daigle said passengers who have recently been to Rwanda will be rerouted for testing at either Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport or Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. .
Passengers should expect to be screened for fever and asked about symptoms and possible exposure to the virus in an area set aside for post-customs screening. Rwanda’s Ministry of Health says everyone flying out of the country is also being screened for symptoms.
The CDC has also strengthened its warning against visiting Rwanda and is now asking Americans to “reconsider non-essential travel.”
In an advisory on the “high mortality rate” disease issued last week, the agency said the risk of the virus in the United States was “low” but urged doctors to be on the lookout for potential infections.
Last week, the CDC issued guidance encouraging U.S. nonprofit organizations that send medical workers to Rwanda to test for Marburg. The CDC said officials “should be consulted” before allowing doctors and nurses with risky exposures or symptoms to return.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Health announced on Monday that there are now at least 56 confirmed cases of Marburg in Rwanda, after seven more people tested positive.
More than a dozen deaths have been linked to the disease. According to the CDC, many of the confirmed cases were health care workers.
The State Department urged Americans in the country to seek medical attention immediately if they notice symptoms such as a sudden onset of fever, severe headache, or body or back pain.
There is no approved vaccine or treatment for Marburg disease, but there are several experimental options has been tested with previous fad.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute said on Saturday that 700 doses of its vaccine arrived in Rwanda for “trials in front-line workers,” and additional shots are ready to be administered pending action by Rwandan and U.S. authorities. It was announced that there was.
