Rethink travel to Marburg-hit Rwanda, U.S. warns nationals

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Monday warned its citizens that they should reconsider traveling to Rwanda, citing an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus.

The East African nation over the weekend said the Ebola-like disease has killed 12 people, mostly health workers, since an outbreak was announced late last month.

With a fatality rate of up to 88 percent, the highly infectious hemorrhagic fever is often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.

The travel advisory to Rwanda has been raised to level three, the US State Department said, meaning Americans “should reconsider travel to Rwanda.”

The scale tops out at 4, which cautions citizens not to travel to a country at all.

According to the Rwandan health ministry, 41 people have been confirmed to have contracted the disease.

The Rwanda Development Board said travel measures were being put in place on Sunday.

It said temperature checks, passenger questionnaires and hand-sanitizing stations would be introduced at departure points, and called on travelers to monitor themselves for symptoms such as fever.

Marburg is transmitted to humans from fruit bats, and is part of the so-called filovirus family that also includes Ebola.

The country has kicked off a vaccination campaign with 700 trial vaccines, though there are currently no officially approved vaccines and no antiviral treatments.