Marburg virus has caused outbreaks in two African nations, and infection preventionists should be aware of travel history for incoming patients with hemorrhagic fever symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned.
The CDC reported recent outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. Be vigilant for symptomatic patients with a recent history of travel to the nations. Isolation precautions are essentially the same as those for Ebola virus.
“Currently, the risk of MVD in the United States is low; however, clinicians should be aware of the potential for imported cases,” the CDC reported in an April 4, 2023, health alert.1 “MVD should be included as a differential diagnosis for an ill person with history of a concerning exposure while in a MVD affected area within 21 days before symptom onset.”
There is no approved vaccine or treatment for Marburg, which has a high mortality rate. The virus does not spread via the airborne route but can infect contacts via body substances and fomites.
A person with MVD is not contagious until symptomatic, with typical signs being fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, or unexplained bleeding the CDC reports.
The outbreaks do not appear to be related, reflecting instead separate “spillover” incidents from the known viral reservoir present in both countries: Egyptian fruit bats.
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