Marburg Virus Disease in Tanzania
Six of us are booked on a Tanzania tour in June; however, I am really concerned about the marburg virus disease there. Six days ago the CDC issued a travel warning to Tanzania because of the disease. Tauck has not formally commented on this, but I am wondering if any of you who are booked on upcoming tours to Tanzania have heard about it and/or have thoughts about what your plans might be.
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You are going nowhere near this very small outbreak area, which is in the NW area of the country. Only 8 people were infected and there are no new reported cases since March 22nd. If you cancel, can I take your place?
There is no reason at this point to cancel. In Africa they do have a great team response to any out breaks. Besides you will be within the TAUCK bubble, away from the locals, normally the interaction it's with the hotel staff, the guide and the Jeep drivers and those are well monitor.
There's no reason to panic, if Tauck it's still on schedule it's because it's safe... if not, they would have contacted you by now...
and I don't follow every CDC advise... they like to exaggerate in certain situations.
Keep planning your trip.
It is extremely unlikely that normal tourists will get it due the way it is transmitted, mainly via bodily fluids. According to the CDC, "People may be at risk of exposure to Marburg virus if they have close contact with:
African fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus – the reservoir host of Marburg virus), or their urine and/or excretions;
People sick with Marburg virus disease; or
Non-human primates infected with Marburg virus
For more from the CDC website on how it is transmitted: https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/marburg/transmission/index.html
Yes, I have read the ways it is transmitted: surfaces, bedding, materials, and not just bodily fluids. This makes it impossible to determine who might spread the disease. And the CDC says a person who travels in Tanzania should monitor his/her health for three weeks after returning. Also, there is no known treatment for it; the death rate is 88-90%. This concerns me a great deal. Just wonder, AlanS, mil, and British, are you signed up to go to Tanzania on a Tauck tour in the near future?
Surfaces, bedding, etc, only when wet! I'll take your tickets!
Yes, I’m booked to go in July 2024 with our entire family!
huntnfun, I think you’ve been on quite few tours with Tauck, surely you must trust them by now. In our experience, the people we are most likely to become sick from are our fellow tour members, it’s happened several times over the years. Fortunately, despite people’s irresponsibility refusing to wear masks when Tauck deemed it compulsory, we have not yet contracted Covid. Colds and d and v are a more common ailment from other people, hand washing and keeping hands away from nose and mouth help tremendously. Clearly we forgot to not breath near infected people who had colds.
June is still too far off for you or Tauck to make decisions. I have been to Tanzania three times with Tauck and two of those times there have been things going on, one was Ebola on the other side of the continent. It was great because it made our tour group small as so many people were canceling. The second time there was a terrorist bomb in Arusha while we were there. I’m trying to think rationally and know very well I’m in far more danger in my own country to die of constant random violence and things like car crashes than the remote chance of getting that virus.
Here is a good chapter about potential diseases in sub Safari Africa. Now I’m going ot read about Marburg in Tanzania. Malaria for example, it’s not just three weeks observing yourself for illness, it’s one year.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/popular-itineraries/east-africa-safaris
The CDC rates the Marburg virus in Tanzania as Level 1…..Practice normal precautions.
As described below on their website
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/marburg-tanzania