Saudi Arabia urges against travel to Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania due to Marburg virus

Saudi Arabia and Oman have recommended against travel to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania due to the outbreak of the Marburg virus.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Healthy Authority (WEQAYA) advised its citizens not to travel to the two African countries until the disease was brought under control, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.

It also urged its citizens already present in these two countries to abide by the authorities’ preventive measures.

Oman issued a similar warning with the health ministry calling on its citizens not to travel to both countries unless“extremely necessary.”

The death toll from the outbreak of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea has reached nine, the health ministry said on Thursday amid World Health Organization estimates the real toll is double that.

The Marburg virus causes severe fever, often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.

It is part of the so-called filovirus family that also includes Ebola, which has wreaked havoc in several previous outbreaks in Africa.

Last week, Tanzania announced last week five deaths from Marburg, but insisted it has the spread under control after sending a rapid response team to the northwestern region of Kagera which borders Uganda.

The suspected natural source of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen but does not fall sick from it.

There are currently no vaccines or antiviral treatments, but potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies, as well as early candidate vaccines being evaluated.