DOHA, 2 April – RIA Novosti. Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf have urged their citizens to avoid traveling to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania due to the spread of the Marburg virus of the same name, which causes the fever, the Foreign Ministries of these countries said on Twitter.

Therefore, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has advised “to avoid traveling to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania at this time due to the outbreak of the Marburg virus, and to follow the precautions and advice of local health authorities in those countries.”

Similar calls were made by the authorities of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. According to Abdullah al-Asiri, Deputy Minister of Health of Saudi Arabia, quoted on the Habr Ajil portal, “No cases of Marburg virus have yet been recorded in the kingdom, but health facilities are ready to treat patients. It will be understood that they have.” The Saudi General Health Authority also issued a note listing signs of Marburg virus infection, including severe headache, abdominal pain, and bleeding from the nose and mouth.

As the Ministry of Health of Equatorial Guinea previously reported, 13 cases of infection with the rare Marburg virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever of the same name, have been detected in this country since the outbreak began, one person has recovered.

Citing the Ministry of Health of Equatorial Guinea earlier, Agence France-Presse reported that nine people died due to the Marburg virus.

Marburg virus is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and is spread between humans through direct contact with surfaces and materials, as well as bodily fluids of infected individuals. As stated by WHO, there is currently no registered vaccine or antiviral drug for the treatment of fever. Supportive care (oral or intravenous rehydration) and symptomatic therapy are used to improve patient survival rates.