Russia and Kazakhstan Tighten Control Over Epidemiological Situation Amid WHO Marburg Virus Alert

The Ministries of Health of Russia and Kazakhstan are intensifying measures to monitor and control the epidemiological situation following a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) about a new outbreak of the Marburg virus, a dangerous and often fatal infection.

Russian doctors have been advised to prepare for the potential risk of the Marburg virus being imported into the country, said Gennady Onishchenko, an epidemiologist and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

"The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the development of the epidemiological situation with the Marburg virus. To prevent the import and spread of the disease to the republic, sanitary and quarantine controls have been strengthened at international airports and border crossings, including the use of contactless thermometry for all arriving passengers," stated Sarkhat Beisenova, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Kazakhstan.

Marburg viral disease is a rare, severe viral hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and non-human primates. The virus is naturally harbored in bats and can be transmitted to humans through direct contact. The primary natural foci of the disease are located in countries in South, West, and Central Africa, including South Africa, Gabon, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health has urged citizens traveling to endemic countries to follow strict preventive measures, which include avoiding contact with infected individuals, steering clear of wild animals in the African jungles, avoiding the consumption of poorly cooked local meats, and refraining from visiting caves or mines where Egyptian fruit bats, asymptomatic carriers of the virus, are found.

"If any signs of illness appear, travelers should seek immediate medical help and adhere to personal hygiene rules," added Beisenova.

The Marburg virus, a member of the same family as the Ebola virus, is highly infectious and has no known treatment or vaccine. Symptoms typically appear within 2 to 21 days of exposure and include fever, sore throat, rash, abdominal pain, and bleeding from the nose and eyes.

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids, blood, or contaminated surfaces, posing a significant threat to healthcare workers and those in close contact with infected individuals.