The Ministry of Health has activated surveillance at all border points between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda following the outbreak of the Marburg Virus disease in Tanzania.
The ministry of health said Wednesday that eight people had been affected and five deaths recorded from the virus in the neighboring country.
Bukoba, Kagera Province in North Western part of Tanzania has since been identified as the epicenter.
The town is 611 kilometers from Kisumu and 1079 Kilometers from Nairobi by road.
The town is served by the Bukoba Airport and regular ferry connections to and from Mwanza which has connections with Kisumu in Kenya.
Besides, at least two buses with a capacity of 100 passengers, according to the statement ply the route between Bukoba and Kampala in Uganda on daily basis.
The ministry observes that some of the passengers originate from the epicenter of the current MVD outbreak.
MVD is transmitted through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected people, and contaminated surfaces.
This called for the ministry to act with speed, mostly along the Uganda and Tanzania border to avoid the spread of the virus.
“The Ministry has activated its surveillance and response mechanisms and enhanced surveillance at all border points between Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda,” MoH said in the statement.
“The ministry has also directed all County Officials to be vigilant to identify and isolate any suspected cases for proper and timely management.”
The virus which does not have treatment exhibits symptoms including high fever, severe headache, and severe malaise, commonly associated with muscle aches and pains on the onset of infection.
The affected person also feels abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea that may persist for a week.
Director General of Health Patrick Amoth says many patients develop severe bleeding manifestations between five and seven days in multiple opening areas on the body.
“Marburg Virus disease is closely related to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD),” Amoth said adding that both are classified as Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) that are symptomatically similar and transmitted in similar ways.
The medic notes that the preventive measures are similar for the two diseases.
The ministry called for vigilance as the disease can cause severe adverse impacts on the economy.
Currently, there is no treatment or approved vaccine approved for MVD.
“However, supportive care- rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival.”
The government has advised people presenting high fever, mostly those with a history of travel to Tanzania to report to the nearest health facility.
