Marburg virus: US limits Rwanda flights into New York, Chicago or Washington

After Rwanda’s health ministry announced increased cases and deaths from Marburg virus, the US has taken dramatic action to check the health of anyone who has visited the central African country in the past 21 days.

Such travellers can only arrive in the US at one of three international airports: New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare or Washington Dulles. Special screening facilities are in place at these airports.

Marburg virus can cause fatal haemorrhagic fever. It is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and has a high fatality rate.

The highly contagious virus is most commonly spread in healthcare settings through close and direct contact with body fluids or an infected case.

Common symptoms include a fever, severe headaches, muscle ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and can appear up to 21 days from the date of exposure.

Up to Wednesday this week, 15 people have died from the disease in Rwanda; nine are in isolation and are being treated; and 38 have recovered.

In response, the American Embassy in the capital, Kigali, has announced stringent new measures for travellers from Rwanda arriving in the US.

The statement read: “All US-bound passengers departing from Rwanda will be routed to one of the following designated airports: New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), or Washington, DC (IAD) for enhanced traveler health entry screening.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will apply new layers of screening at these three US airports in response to the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda.

“This applies to all passengers, including US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa holders (to include diplomatic and official visas).

“US officials are working with airlines to ensure carriers will rebook affected passengers who had planned to enter the United States through other airports.”

Alejandro Mayorkas, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, said: “DHS is directing all flights to the United States carrying such persons to arrive at the airports where the enhanced public health measures are being implemented.”

If any airline passenger travelling to the US is identified as having had “recent presence in Rwanda”, the plane can only land in New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare or Washington Dulles. This raises the possibility that a flight to the US might be ordered to divert if a passenger is identified as having been in Rwanda in the past three weeks.

The national carrier, RwandAir, is telling all passengers: “Anyone leaving Rwanda is required to monitor for MVD [Marburg virus disease] symptoms, including fever, severe headaches, muscle ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, before departing from Rwanda and seek medical advice immediately if they experience these symptoms.

“If you’ve been in contact with a confirmed case of Marburg, you cannot travel until 21 days after your exposure provided you are symptom-free.”

The airline’s homepage currently features an unfortunate promotion headlined “Catch the travel bug?”

RwandAir currently flies between Kigali and London Heathrow.

The American Embassy in Kigali said that “out of an abundance of caution” it would close to the public for the rest of the week.