diseases
Suspicion of Marburg fever: airport in contact with authorities
In Hamburg, investigations are underway to determine whether two people have been infected with the Marburg virus (current photo) Photo
© André Lenthe/Lenthe Medien/dpa
A possible case of Marburg fever concerns the authorities. The result of the investigation is still pending. Frankfurt Airport is also looking into the case.
According to the authorities, one of the two people had recently worked in Rwanda in a hospital where people infected with the Marburg virus were also treated. It was initially investigated whether those affected were infected with the pathogen.
Fraport also said there were no effects at Frankfurt Airport. We work closely with the authorities. Fraport also referred to the health department, which was in charge of the case.
Never a transmission on a plane
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there has never been a transmission of Marburg viruses on an airplane. In general, people only become infected through body fluids through close contact with seriously ill people or deceased people. Unlike corona or flu viruses, the virus cannot be transmitted through the air.
The Marburg virus can cause high fever and symptoms such as muscle pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and bloody vomit. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 25 to 90 percent of those infected have died in previous outbreaks in Africa.
According to the US health authority CDC, there have not been any cases in Germany since 1967. The pathogen is named after the German city because laboratory workers there were infected with the previously unknown virus in test monkeys in 1967.