Residents of the UAE are advised to separate themselves upon their return from two countries where the Marburg virus sickness has been documented. The nearest medical facility or emergency rooms within hospitals should be used by travelers, according to the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).
Also, those who have been exhibiting hemorrhagic fever symptoms for longer than 21 days have been recommended to seek medical attention.
Due to the Marburg virus outbreak, the foreign ministries of the UAE and numerous Gulf nations warned citizens against visiting Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea. At least 14 virus-related deaths have been documented in the two countries thus far.
MoHAP in the UAE said precautionary measures are being taken to ensure public safety and promote health awareness.
The health ministry of the UAE issued a second warning advising people to avoid visiting Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea “unless it’s necessary.”
“If travel is unavoidable, necessary precautions should be taken to avoid exposure to the disease, such as avoiding close contact with patients, touching contaminated surfaces, and refraining from visiting caves and mines,” the Mohap added.
Saudi Arabia and Oman have issued similar warnings, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that the outbreak’s death toll is double what authorities have reported.
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Symptoms
Marburg virus disease is an uncommon but extremely harmful hemorrhagic fever that is severe and life-threatening. The sickness is brought on by the Marburg virus, a zoonotic RNA virus that spreads from animals to people in enclosed spaces like mines or bat-infested caves.
The virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that can have a fatality rate of up to 88 percent, according to WHO.
Marburg causes the quick onset of symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, myalgia, chest pain, and sore throat. Some of the symptoms that worsen as the condition exacerbates include jaundice, drastic weight loss, and other critical health issues.
Transmission
In a social media advisory issued on Monday, UAE’s MoHAP said the virus can spread in three ways:
- Human-to-human transmission via direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids of infected people.
- Close contact with an infected animal.
- Direct contact with surfaces and materials (for example bedding or clothing) contaminated with these fluids.
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