Zanzibar officials say Saudi, UAE travelers ‘not at risk’ of deadly Marburg virus

Government officials in Zanzibar have moved to ease concerns about the Marburg virus – saying travelers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and wider GCC should have ‘no worries’ about contracting the potentially-life threatening disease on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Speaking to Al Arabiya English, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar said they wish to reaffirm that “there are no cases of the Marburg virus on the islands.”

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“As such, travelers from Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council can rest assured that their health is in no way at risk,” officials said.

In February and March 2023, two distinct outbreaks of Marburg virus were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. These outbreaks mark the first time that Marburg virus has been identified in either location. Zanzibar is an archipelago off the Tanzanian coastline.

Earlier this month, the UAE issued a second health warning against the Marburg virus, urging its citizens and residents to take preventative measures and avoid travel to countries where an outbreak has been reported.

“The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has urged the public to be aware of the virus causing Marburg hemorrhagic fever and to avoid travelling to Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea unless it’s necessary due to the recent spread of Marburg virus,” the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported at the time.

“The Ministry has emphasized that all necessary precautions are being taken in accordance with international health standards to contain the virus in its current geographical scope. The situation in these countries is being closely monitored to determine the global severity of the disease,” the health ministry said in a statement.

In March, Saudi Arabia and Oman recommended against travel to Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania due to the outbreak of the Marburg virus.

However, Zanzibar authorities have insisted they are open for business as usual.

“Tourists, business leaders and relevant stakeholders intending to visit Zanzibar should note that the north-west Kagera region of mainland Tanzania, where the virus was first detected in March, is not frequented by travellers, and lies some 1 500km from Zanzibar and the mainland transit destination of Dar es Salaam,” officials said.

“Furthermore, the United Republic of Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has confirmed that the virus has been contained to the region, and the country is now considered safe for travelers.”

Zanzibar Tourism Minister Simai M Said told Al Arabiya English: “The situation has been contained by the governments of both Zanzibar and Tanzania by immediately deploying rapid response teams to the region for the purposes of contact tracing and monitoring risk communication activities.”

These measures have proved “highly successful in limiting the spread of the virus in the Kagera region”, he added. All patients were treated according to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

“Of the eight patients who were infected with the virus, only one remains under observation. Given that COVID-19 is still fresh in our minds, we understand that people are cautious when learning of new infections. However, such fears are often unfounded, as has been the case now,” added Said.

Said noted that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zanzibar created ‘Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all tourism entities to ensure they strictly adhere to international health and safety standards in accordance with WHO requirements’. These SOPs remain in place today and were activated as soon as the first case of the Marburg virus was reported, he said.

“As we prepare to welcome our annual influx of visitors from Oman, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council, they can be safe in the knowledge that the virus is contained and presents no threat to them or the citizens of Zanzibar,” added Said.

The Marburg virus is a life-threatening disease that causes a severe fever, accompanied by bleeding organ failure, jaundice, and other serious health complications. It is transmitted from animals to humans in a closed environment, such as in mines or caves inhabited by bats.

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