October 2, 2024 – 10:37 pm
On Wednesday, two people in Hamburg were taken to hospital for examination on suspicion of being infected with the Marburg virus. According to the German city authorities, one of the infected people works in a Rwandan hospital, where those infected with the virus were also treated.
The two people arrived by plane from Rwanda to Frankfurt at dawn on Wednesday, and from there they traveled by train to Hamburg. During the trip, one of them contacted health authorities, fearing that he might be infected with a tropical disease. According to the German Fire Department, he complained of flu-like symptoms and a slight feeling of malaise, and did not have a fever.
The competent health authority in Hamburg ordered the immediate isolation of the two people and their transfer to the hospital. As a precaution, they requested contact information for train passengers who may have been in contact with those affected, but did not see the need to request quarantine at this time.
The Ebola-like virus, named after the city of Marburg in Germany, was discovered in 1967 after it was introduced to Marburg with research monkeys, and is spread by close contact through the bodily fluids of infected people or through contaminated surfaces such as bedding. Without treatment and medical care, the infection can be fatal in up to 88 percent of cases. The incubation period of infection is 2-21 days.
There has recently been an outbreak of Marburg disease in Rwanda. According to Health Minister Sabine Nsanzimana, ten people have died from the disease so far, and a total of 29 infections had been confirmed by October 1. The 19 people currently undergoing treatment are mostly healthcare workers who have been isolated. (MTI)
