Compass – Amman

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Health for Primary Health Care and Epidemiology, Dr. Raed Al-Shboul, confirmed that the Ministry of Health is following up on the spread of some cases of hemorrhagic fever of Marburg virus in the countries of Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania.

Al-Shboul said that the Ministry of Health, within the framework of the national strategy for combating epidemics, is constantly following any developments related to viruses and epidemics in general, in order to deal with them.

Al-Shboul explained in remarks received.compass“The Marburg virus, which was detected in only two countries according to the World Health Organization, is among the ancient zoonotic diseases, which is transmitted to humans through infected animals such as monkeys and bats, and is transmitted from human to human through direct and indirect contact with infected body fluids. Which includes blood, urine, feces, vomit, saliva and other fluids and respiratory secretions that contain the virus in high concentrations or through contact with surfaces contaminated with the patient’s body fluids.

Al-Shboul indicated that the issue of this virus will be included on the agenda of the next meeting of the National Committee for Combating Epidemics.

Gulf countries recommended not to travel to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, due to the “outbreak” of the deadly Marburg virus.

This came in official statements issued by the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, in exchange for a Bahraini confirmation of closely following the developments of the virus.

And “Marbug”, the death rate of those infected with it reaches 88 percent, and it spreads through contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or any other fluids from his body, contaminated surfaces or materials, and last March 8 people were killed in Equatorial Guinea, With a follow-up of 34 contacts, according to information from the World Health Organization.

Yesterday, Friday, the Saudi Public Health Authority recommended, according to a statement, that people avoid traveling to the two African countries until the disease is “controlled.”

The incubation period of the virus ranges from 2 to 21 days, and its most prominent symptoms include high fever, severe headache, severe malaise, severe watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, vomiting and severe hemorrhagic symptoms, according to the World Health Organization.