The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has elevated its travel notice for Rwanda to “level 2,” advising against nonessential travel due to the Marburg virus outbreak in the East African nation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that travelers entering the U.S. who have visited Rwanda within the past 21 days will now undergo screening.
Rwanda’s first Marburg outbreak, reported in late September, has resulted in 46 confirmed cases and 12 deaths. With a fatality rate of up to 88%, the virus is spread through contact with bodily fluids after transmission from fruit bats.
Rwanda has begun administering vaccines to healthcare workers and close contacts of confirmed cases to contain the spread.
