[Rwanda Forum] US Limiting Rwanda Arrivals to 3 Airports Over Marburg Virus Concerns | The Epoch Times



US Limiting Rwanda Arrivals to 3 Airports Over Marburg Virus Concerns | The Epoch Times.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/us-limiting-rwanda-arrivals-to-3-airports-over-marburg-virus-concerns-5742900?utm_source=goodeveningnoe&src_src=goodeveningnoe&utm_campaign=gv-2024-10-17&src_cmp=gv-2024-10-17&utm_medium=email&est=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa%2BwmdB0FmZLo9bIGsWoXCLt3LKYOfPMaszsFx3ZqYsJYjg%3D%3D

US Limiting Rwanda Arrivals to 3 Airports Over Marburg Virus Concerns

The Marburg virus has a high rate of death.

10/17/2024

A medical worker from the Infection Prevention and Control unit wearing full protective equipment carries a meal to an isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after coming into contact with a carrier of the Marburg Virus in Uganda, at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, on Oct. 8, 2014. Ben Curtis/AP Photo

U.S. officials are directing people flying from Rwanda to three airports for enhanced screening to try to prevent the Ebola-like Marburg virus from spreading into the United States.

All passengers headed for the United States from Rwanda will be routed to the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, or Dulles International Airport in Virginia, near Washington, according to the U.S. Department of State.

It doesn't matter whether the passengers are Americans, the agency said in a statement.

RwandAir, the main airline flying out of Rwanda, said that travelers taking flights from the country should seek medical advice if they're experiencing symptoms associated with Marburg, such as severe headaches. Passengers cannot fly out of Rwanda if they've been exposed to a confirmed Marburg case until 21 days of being symptom-free have passed, the airline said.

An outbreak of Marburg cropped up in Rwanda, a central African country with a population of about 13 million, in September, authorities there said.

Fifteen of those infected have died, the Rwanda Ministry of Health said on Oct. 16. Another 38 have recovered, and nine are in isolation.

Since the outbreak was announced, all newly confirmed cases have been linked to a hospital in Kigali, and "there is no evidence of community transmission," the agency stated.

Marburg spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals, or via items contaminated with the fluids.

Symptoms can appear two to 21 days after infection.

Many patients who contract the virus die.

Although there are no authorized treatments or vaccines, an experimental injection has been given to about 850 people in Rwanda.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month that people who do not need to travel to Rwanda should consider avoiding the country because of the outbreak, although the agency has since rescinded the guidance.

The CDC is in charge of the enhanced screening at the three airports, federal officials said. The screening started on Oct. 16.

When travelers from Rwanda arrive at one of the airports, trained CDC workers will observe them for visible signs of illness, take their temperatures, and ask health questions, the CDC said.

If people have a fever or other symptoms, or if the answers show possible exposure to Marburg, a CDC medical officer will conduct an assessment and may direct travelers to a nearby hospital.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also helping with the screening, the agency said in a statement. The agency said pilots and crew are being excluded from the screening.

Travelers are being advised to monitor their health for 21 days after leaving Rwanda and to isolate and contact their local health department or their doctor for guidance if they develop symptoms within that period of time.

"Stay home and away from others except to go to a healthcare facility, if told to by the health department or a healthcare provider," the CDC stated.

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