CDC to screen travelers for Marburg, as outbreak of Ebola-like disease grows

In response to an unprecedented outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now plan to screen arriving international travelers for their risk of bringing the deadly Ebola-like disease into the country. 

The stepped-up screenings will start the week of Oct. 14 for arriving travelers who have been in Rwanda during the past three weeks, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday. 

“To keep Americans safe, we are implementing additional precautions for a small, select group of travelers arriving in the United States from Rwanda, including additional public health entry screenings,” White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement Monday.

Savett said that passengers recently in Rwanda will be redirected “to certain U.S. airports for public health entry screening and follow up measures.”

The CDC will also escalate its warning about visiting Rwanda, now calling for Americans “to reconsider nonessential travel.” 

In an advisory last week about the “high mortality rate” disease, the agency said the risk of the virus to the U.S. was “low” but urged doctors to be on the lookout for potential cases. 

The CDC also issued guidance last week to American nonprofits that have deployed healthcare workers to Rwanda, urging screening for Marburg. The agency “must be consulted” prior to allowing doctors and nurses with risky exposures or symptoms to return, the CDC said.

At least 56 confirmed cases of Marburg have now been diagnosed in Rwanda, the country’s health ministry said Monday, after seven more infections tested positive. 

A dozen deaths have been linked to the disease. Many of the confirmed infections have been in healthcare workers, the CDC said. 

The State Department has urged Americans in the country to seek medical care immediately if they notice symptoms like sudden fever, severe headache or body and back aches. 

While there are no approved vaccines or treatments for Marburg, a handful of experimental options have been tested in previous outbreaks. 

The Sabin Vaccine Institute said Saturday that 700 doses of its vaccine had arrived in Rwanda for a “trial targeting frontline workers,” with additional shots ready to be delivered pending moves by officials in Rwanda and the U.S.