By developer 
By LINDA BOYLE
Somebody is sounding the alarm that the Marburg virus “could” travel to the United States and kill us. And they are blaming President Donald Trump because he is not allowing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work with the World Health Organization so death and tragedy like the Covid years could occur.
Wow hold the presses! How could this be? Not again!
The bottom line is that the Marburg virus doesn’t appear to be traveling towards the US, and the latest African outbreak has been contained.
Who is sounding the pandemic alarm? One such person is Dr. Stephanie Psaki who worked for Biden’s White House as a health advisor and is the sister of Jen Psaki, who was Biden’s press secretary for several years.
Dr. Psaki warned of the potential to hurt Americans when there was an outbreak in Tanzania in January 2025. She stated Trump’s actions could allow harmful viruses like the Marburg virus, which is similar to Ebola and can kill up to 88 percent of those infected, to enter the United States.
“The only way to safeguard Americans against the virus, which triggers bleeding from orifices like the mouth, ears, and eyes, “is to stop it at its source,” stated Dr. Psaki, stressing that there is no vaccination or medical care for the virus.”
In all the years the Marburg virus has been known to man, only one American contracted the virus – in 2008. This person had traveled to Uganda and developed symptoms on his return to the United States. The individual made a complete recovery.
Here are the facts:
- Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a hemorrhagic fever disease that is severe and often fatal in humans. It can damage your blood vessels and cause severe bleeding.
- The average MVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks.
- Survival is improved with early treatment of rehydration and symptom treatment.
- There are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for MVD, but a range of vaccines and drug therapies are under development.
- Rousettus aegyptiacus, a fruit bat of the Pteropodidae family, is considered the natural host of the Marburg virus. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bat guano and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. This occurs when in contact with body fluids of infected fruit bats or humans.
- Symptoms include fever, headache, rash, vomiting, bleeding, and confusion.
- The disease is primarily found in Africa.
- Though caused by different viruses, Ebola and Marburg are clinically similar. These are rare diseases but have the ability to cause outbreaks.
Outbreaks are sporadic. Since tracking the virus from 1967, the majority of cases are in Sub-Saharan Africa, there have been a total of 17 events for a total of around 600 cases.
Dr. Psaki’s team reviewed the cases in Tanzania and somehow identified a significant risk. To whom? It doesn’t seem like anyone in the US is currently at risk unless you are traveling to Sub-Saharan Africa – going to fruit bat caves or getting infected by someone who already has the disease.
Yes, there is no known “vaccine” for this virus, although research is ongoing. Yes, it can be treated with fluids and supportive care for symptoms. Yes, the death rate is high.
How is it transmitted?
Initially, MVD is transmitted to humans from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus fruit bat colonies. Once In the human population, it spreads human-to-human by direct contact (through mucous membranes or broken skin) with blood, secretions to include semen of contaminated people and with surfaces contaminated with these fluids.
Compared to other viral species, the Marburg virus mutates at a slower rate and shows relatively little variation between strains. It is not known why but it does help explain why it can be contained more easily.
So, I don’t suspect this virus will be coming to a town close to you in the near future.
After Psaki sounded the “fear” message in January, the virus was contained in Tanzania by March, and no new cases have occurred there.
Psaki’s warning reminded me of chicken little saying the sky was falling. Or of the child who cried wolf.
Since 1997, only one American was infected with the Marburg virus and that person traveled to Africa, returned home, recovered, and infected no one.
Yet Dr. Psaki wants us to believe this “could” lead to a pandemic here in the U.S.
My advice—don’t go exploring fruit bat caves in Africa. If you do, then stay away from the guano which would be hard to do.
And pay no attention to the fear mongering from Dr. Psaki. Pandemic is not coming. Pandemic is not coming from Marburg Virus. Put the face shields, six foot distancing, face masks, gloves, etc. away for another time. Don’t fall for the “misinformation” from this doctor.
Linda Boyle, RN, MSN, DM, was formerly the chief nurse for the 3rd Medical Group, JBER, and was the interim director of the Alaska VA. Most recently, she served as Director for Central Alabama VA Healthcare System. She is the director of the Alaska Covid Alliance/Alaskans 4 Personal Freedom.
Suzanne Downing