Practice regular hand hygiene.

Reminder: At risk person should be vaccinated against flu, RSV and SARS-Cov2 according to national guidelines. For Switzerland, see new FOPH Recommendation for RSV.

The following precautions are recommended:

• Protect yourself against mosquito bites during the day and at night (see Factsheet: Optimal mosquito and tick bite protection 24/7). Do not touch sick or dead birds, as they may also be infected.
• If you have visited a West Nile fever transmission area, do not donate blood for at least 28 days after returning.

Avoid travel to the affected regions, unless necessary. WHO assesses the public health risk posed by the outbreak as high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level.

Preventive measures:

• Wash your hands regularly and carefully using soap and water (or alcohol gel if soap is unavailable).
  
• Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
  
• Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
  
• Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the MVD-affected areas for nonurgent medical care or non-medical reasons.
  
• Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial. 
  
• Avoid handling, cooking, or eating bush/wild meat (meat of wild/feral mammals killed for food).
  
• Wash and peel fruit and vegetables before consumption.
  
• Avoid visiting mines or bat caves and contact with all wild animals, alive or dead, particularly bats.
  
• If you decide to visit mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing, including masks and eye protection.
  
• Practice safer sex.
  

During travel and upon return:

• Watch your health for symptoms of Marburg while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving the outbreak area (no quarantine is required if there are no symptoms).
  

In case of symptoms:

If you develop fever and nonspecific symptoms such as chills, headache, muscle pain or abdominal pain:

• You should separate yourself from others (isolate) immediately and
  
• Directly contact the in-country hotline by phone or contact a tropical institute or university hospital infectious disease unit.
  
• Alert the healthcare providers of your recent travel to an area with a Marburg outbreak.
  

For clinicians:

• Consider Marburg as a possible diagnosis in patients with epidemiologic risks factors, especially in people with possible exposure of Marburg cases in Ethiopia.
• Further information on evaluation and diagnosis: see LINK and ECDC risk assessment.

Although the outbreak has been declared over, health authorities are maintaining surveillance to rapidly identify and respond to any re-emergence.

Travellers should follow general preventive measures:

• Wash hands regularly and carefully using soap and water (or alcohol gel if soap is unavailable).
  
• Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
  
• Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
  
• Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the filovirus-affected areas for nonurgent medical care or non-medical reasons.
  
• Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial. 
  
• Avoid handling, cooking, or eating bush/wild meat (meat of wild/feral mammals killed for food).
  
• Wash and peel fruit and vegetables before consumption.
  
• Avoid visiting mines or bat caves and contact with all wild animals; alive or dead, particularly bats.
  
• If visiting mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing, including masks and eye protection.
• Practice safer sex.

Behavior after exposure: After an animal bite/scratch: immediately wash the wound with water and soap for 15 minutes, then disinfect and in any case visit a high-quality medical center for post-exposure vaccination as soon as possible!

Prevention: Avoid contact with animals and do not feed them! Travellers are advised to get a pre-exposure vaccination, especially those at higher risk, such as individuals working with animals, riding two-wheelers, visiting remote areas, young children, cave explorers, or anyone who may come into contact with bats.

Behavior after exposure: After an animal bite/scratch: immediately wash the wound with water and soap for 15 minutes, then disinfect and in any case visit a medical center for post-exposure vaccination and care as soon as possible!

Prevention: Avoid contact with animals and do not feed them! Travellers are advised to get a pre-exposure vaccination, especially those at higher risk, such as individuals working with animals, riding two-wheelers, visiting remote areas, young children, cave explorers, or anyone who may come into contact with bats.