In response to the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has upgraded its travel advisory for the country to a Level 3 notice. This new advisory urges travelers to reconsider nonessential trips to Rwanda, reflecting the confirmed cases of Marburg in several districts.
The CDC’s updated guidance shifts from a Level 2 notice, which recommended enhanced precautions. Travelers to Rwanda are advised to consider obtaining travel insurance to cover potential delays, illnesses, or injuries, and to avoid close contact with individuals showing Marburg symptoms, as well as potential animal sources of the virus. The agency also recommends limiting visits to health facilities in outbreak areas.
Starting October 14, the CDC will implement screening for travelers who have been in Rwanda within the past 21 days, which covers the upper limit of the virus’s incubation period. This measure aims to prevent imported cases of Marburg into the United States. Passengers arriving from Rwanda will be rerouted for screening at one of three designated airports: Chicago O’Hare International, New York’s John F. Kennedy International, and Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport.
Rwanda’s health ministry has also initiated screening for departing travelers. Additionally, a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services highlighted the support being provided to Rwanda, which includes scientific assistance from a CDC field office established in the country since 2002 and the deployment of senior CDC scientists.
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