What do I need to know before I travel?
Public Health Scotland logo

Fit for Travel Logo

Information on how to stay safe and healthy abroad. About us.

Marburg virus disease in Guinea

10 Aug 2021

On 6 August 2021, the Ministry of Health of Guinea informed the World Health Organization of a case of Marburg virus disease in Guéckédou Prefecture, Nzérékoré Region which is in the south-west of Guinea.

This is the first known case of Marburg virus disease  in West Africa.

Advice to travellers

Marburg Virus Disease is a type of viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF), similar to Ebola. The virus lives in African fruit bats and can be passed to people when they have contact with these bats, or the caves/mines in which they live. People can also be infected from contact with people, or monkeys or apes who are ill with Marburg virus disease.

The risk to travellers becoming infected or developing Marburg Virus Disease is extremely low.

  • If you are travelling to a known Marburg outbreak area, you must be aware of the risk of infection and transmission routes of Marburg virus.
  • Medical personnel travelling to work in an outbreak region must follow strict infection prevention control guidance.

If you return home from a Marburg outbreak area, you should seek rapid medical attention by contacting NHS 24 (Scotland) or NHS 111 (rest of UK) for advice prior to attending UK medical facilities if you develop a high temperature (fever) and have:

  • returned to the UK within 21 days from a region or area with a known outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease
  • had contact with people infected with a VHF

For further information, see fitfortravel Viral Haemorrhagic Fever page.