Marburg virus disease in Guinea

On 6 August 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Guéckédou Prefecture, Nzérékoré Region, in south-western Guinea. The patient developed symptoms on 25 July 2021 and died on 2 August 2021, and was the first known case of MVD in West Africa.

Advice for travellers

MVD is a viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF), which may infect humans following direct contact with the reservoir host, African fruit bats, or from direct contact or droplet spread from infected humans or non-human primates. Generally, the risk of travellers becoming infected or developing the disease is extremely low.

Travellers visiting known MVD outbreak areas must: 

• be made aware of the risk of infection and transmission routes of the virus, while medical personnel travelling to work in an outbreak region must follow strict infection prevention control guidance 
• seek rapid medical attention if they develop a fever within 21 days of return to the UK, if returning from a MVD outbreak area or if they have had contact with individuals infected with a VHF, and should call NHS24 (Scotland) or NHS111 (rest of the UK) for advice prior to attending UK medical facilities 

Further information and advice on VHF, including MVD, is available on the TRAVAX (for health professionals) and fitfortravel (for the general public) websites.

Source: TRAVAX, 10 August 2021