Kazakh Health Ministry issues statement on Marburg virus

The Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan is tightening control due to Marburg virus due to the WHO warning on a new dangerous infection, chief sanitary doctor of Kazakhstan Sarhat Beisenov said.

The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the development of the epidemiological situation with the Marburg virus. In order to prevent the infection and spread of the disease in the country, sanitary and quarantine control is carried out at international airports on the state border, where all arriving passengers are monitored by means of non-contact thermometry.

The Ministry of Health also recommends that if signs of disease appear, immediately seek medical assistance and comply with personal hygiene rules.

Considering the high migration of population, the Ministry of Health recommends to observe the following preventive measures when visiting Kazakhstanis from endemic countries:

avoid contact with infected people; beware of the wild animals that live in the African jungle; not to eat the meat of a local animal that is not well-roasted; do not visit the caves and mines, where there are many Egyptian bats - asymptomatic carriers of the virus.

Marburg virus outbreak

Marburg disease is a rare, severe viral hemorrhagic fever affecting both humans and other primates. The virus is found in nature in bats and can be transmitted from bats to humans.

The virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact. It can be infected through damaged skin or mucous membranes. In addition, the virus can be acquired by interacting with surfaces and materials such as bedding or clothes of the patient.

The main symptoms of the Marburg virus disease:

fever; pain in the throat; rash; pain in the stomach; blood from the nose and eye.

The Marburg disease hotspots are South, West and Central Africa: South Africa, Gabon, Sudan, Congo, Liberia, Guinea, Zimbabwe and Kenya.