The UAE on Saturday advised its citizens against traveling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, in light of the spread of a severe hemorrhagic fever virus that affects humans.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the decision came out its concern for the safety of Emirati citizens.
Nine people have died, while one patient has recovered since the beginning of the epidemic of what is known as the Marburg virus.
Equatorial Guinea’s health ministry said on Twitter on Wednesday, adding that 825 contacts have since been traced.
The country confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the disease in February, according to WHO, which last week had reported 9 laboratory-confirmed cases and put the total number of deaths and probable cases at 20 each.
“WHO is aware of additional cases and we have asked the government to report these cases officially to WHO,” its director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
There is also an outbreak of Marburg virus in Tanzania, where eight cases including five deaths have been reported in the northwest Kagera region, WHO has said.
The UAE ministry called upon its nationals residing or visiting Tanzania or Equatorial Guinea to take caution and follow the safety instructions issued by the relevant authorities.
