CDC to Begin Screening Travelers for Marburg Virus Symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will begin screening travelers entering the United States from Rwanda for symptoms of Marburg virus disease starting Oct.14, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday. This enhanced public health screening applies to travelers who have visited Rwanda in the preceding 21 days.

In response to the unprecedented outbreak, CDC issued a level 3 travel health notice for Rwanda, advising travelers to reconsider nonessential trips. On Oct. 3, the agency also released a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory to U.S. health departments and clinicians to provide guidance on managing patients with recent travel to the affected areas.

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a rare but highly fatal viral hemorrhagic fever, primarily transmitted to humans from bats. It spreads among people through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, including blood, sweat, feces and semen.

The Rwandan Rwandan Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first MVD cases on Sept. 27. Since then, the outbreak has grown to 58 cases and 13 deaths, primarily among health care workers. The Rwandan government is working the World Health Organization and global health partners, including the U.S. government, to vaccinate frontline health care workers and conduct response activities.

Considerations for Blood Donation

There have been no documented cases of transfusion transmission of MVD, and any affected individuals would be ineligible to donate blood due to high symptomatic penetrance. AABB will continue to monitor the potential outbreak and update members as additional information is available. Additional information about MVD is available on AABB’s Marburg virus fact sheet.