Marburg virus: Oman says people arriving from affected countries must isolate

Oman issues fresh travel advisory to airlines including Emirates over deadly outbreak

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  A medic works in an isolation unit during an Ebola scare in Guinea, West Africa. AFP

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  The virus spreads between humans when blood or other bodily fluids from an infected person come into contact with the broken skin or mucous membranes of another person.

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  It takes between two days and three weeks for the disease to emerge after exposure to the virus. AFP

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  A health worker in 2005 outside a hospital in Uige, Angola, where victims of the Marburg virus were treated.

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  The Marburg virus originates in fruit bats. AP

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  Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches and pains, diarrhoea and vomiting. AFP

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  The WHO is monitoring the emergence of the Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea. Reuters

Passengers arriving in Oman who have travelled from Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea must isolate and seek immediate assistance if they feel unwell within 21 days of travel, its authorities have said.

Both African countries are battling outbreaks of the Ebola-like virus that has a death rate of up to 88 per cent.

The directive was issued to all airlines, including Emirates, which posted the advisory on Thursday.

Emirates said the Omani authorities also advised people to postpone trips to countries affected by the Marburg virus and "take precautions if travel is urgent".

The airline added that people can contact Oman's Ministry of Health for more information.

A doctor takes a swab from a patient suspected of having Marburg. There is no vaccine for the deadly virus. AFP

The UAE has also advised people travelling from Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea to isolate and visit a health centre for a check-up.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention urged the public to avoid travelling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea "unless necessary" due to the spread of the virus.

"The situation in these countries is being closely monitored to determine the global severity of the disease," the ministry said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation had already warned UAE citizens against travelling to the two countries unless absolutely necessary.

Emirates and FlyDubai said flights to Tanzania were operating as normal for now but they were monitoring the situation closely.

Equatorial Guinea, in East Africa, has said the Ebola-like disease spread from rural areas to the commercial capital Bata. The country has confirmed at least 13 cases.

In Tanzania, in the west of the continent, at least eight cases and five deaths have been reported.

Marburg was first detected in 1967 after outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade, Serbia. There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment.

Outbreaks and cases have since been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.