Marburg, the new virus threat: Risks for Kuwait remain low

Marburg, the new virus threat: Risks for Kuwait remain low

By Nebal Snan and Agencies

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has warned Kuwaitis against traveling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea following reports of new Marburg virus outbreaks in the two countries. The two countries are facing their first-known outbreaks of the highly virulent disease, which causes a fever with uncontrollable bleeding. The virus is a close cousin to the Ebola virus and has a fatality rate of up to 88 percent, depending on the strain of the virus and the quality of care provided.

Here is some of what we know about the disease so far. How is Marburg virus transmitted? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials. What are the symptoms for Marburg virus disease?

The early symptoms of infection include severe headache, high fever, weakness and muscle pain, said Kuwait’s Health Ministry Spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad in a press statement. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly and could be accompanied by headaches, says WHO. May patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms within seven days. Late onset symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and