CDC reissues travel advisory for Equatorial Guinea over Marburg outbreak

May 14, 2023

Africa, US News

No Comments

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reissued a travel notice Friday for Equatorial Guinea due to the ongoing Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak.

Since the declaration of the outbreak on 13 February 2023, a total of 17 laboratory-confirmed cases of MVD and 23 probable cases have been reported as of 1 May. Among laboratory-confirmed cases, 12 deaths were recorded (CFR 75%). For one confirmed case, the outcome of the illness is unknown. All probable cases are dead. Five districts (Bata, Ebebiyin, Evinayong, Nsok Nsomo and Nsork) in four of the country’s eight provinces (Centro Sur, Kié-Ntem, Litoral and Wele-Nzas) have reported confirmed or probable cases. The most affected district is Bata in Litoral province, with 11 laboratory-confirmed MVD cases reported.

As stated above, there have been clusters of Marburg cases across multiple districts, which may indicate undetected spread of the virus.

The CDC recommends you reconsider non-essential travel to mainland Equatorial Guinea.

If you travel to Equatorial Guinea, you should:
- Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
- Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
- Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial.
- Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the outbreak area for nonurgent medical care or for nonmedical reasons.
- Avoid visiting traditional healers.
- Avoid contact with fruit bats and the caves and mines where they live.
- Avoid nonhuman primates (e.g., chimpanzees, gorillas).
Watch your health for symptoms of Marburg while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving the outbreak area.
- If you develop fever, chills, muscle pain, rash, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising while in the outbreak area, you should separate yourself from others (isolate) and seek medical care immediately.
- Follow additional recommendations after you return to the United States.
If you are traveling to Equatorial Guinea as a healthcare or emergency response worker, follow CDC’s special recommendations for organizations sending workers to the outbreak area.