The Egyptian Ministry of Health has announced that the country is free of any new or dangerous viruses, confirming that the “epidemiological situation” in Egypt is under complete control and that no cases of Marburg virus have been detected, according to local media.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained that the Marburg virus, which has caused widespread concern on social media in Egypt after its outbreak in some African countries, is transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, and not through the air, noting that its source is a type of bat that is not found in Egypt.
No infections in Egypt
Abdel Ghaffar confirmed that travel between the countries that are experiencing the spread of the disease, which he described as “outbreak hotspots,” and Egypt is not significant, and that the surveillance system of the Ministry of Health monitors the epidemiological situations at both the local and global levels.
He also stated that “until this moment, there are no infections with the Marburg virus in Egypt,” stressing that the ministry is following global developments around the clock and that it will inform citizens of any developments with complete transparency.
In another context, the spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Health pointed out that the high rates of respiratory virus infections at this time of year are normal, confirming the stability of infection rates in the same period during previous years.
He pointed out that influenza tops the list of the most common respiratory viruses at 66% of the total cases, followed by rhinovirus at 16%, then respiratory syncytial virus at an infection rate of 1%.
He explained that respiratory viruses infect the upper respiratory system, as well as the digestive system causing diarrhea, confirming that they are the same known respiratory viruses, and appear with the same recurring symptoms every year.
