Two test negative for Marburg virus in Hamburg after alarm

hamburg - Two individuals suspected of being infected with the deadly Marburg virus in Hamburg have tested negative following their removal from a train on Wednesday. Authorities in Hamburg have confirmed the test results.

Two individuals who were removed from a train in Hamburg on Wednesday due to suspected infections with the deadly Marburg virus have tested negative for the virus. The authorities in Hamburg announced this on Thursday.

The two had just returned from Rwanda, where one was working in a hospital as part of a medical study. The student had contact with a Marburg virus patient twice in this hospital. The duo arrived in Germany on Wednesday and took the train from Frankfurt to Hamburg. They raised the alarm en route due to symptoms of illness.

The pair were then isolated and transferred to a specialized clinic. There was no danger to fellow passengers on the train or the plane, authorities said. The student will remain in the clinic for the next few days and will then be placed under supervised home isolation until the 21-day incubation period is over. The companion, who did not have contact with infected individuals, will also remain in the clinic for the next few days. According to German media, the student is a 26-year-old man and the other person is his girlfriend.

Authorities in Rwanda reported on Tuesday that eleven people in the country have died from the Marburg virus. Since the outbreak began on September 27, 29 cases of infection have been confirmed. According to the African health agency (CDC), most of the infected individuals were healthcare workers.

People can become infected through contact with body fluids of infected individuals. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, and severe bleeding. The fatality rate can reach up to 88 percent. There are currently no approved medicines or vaccinations against the virus, but with proper care, the likelihood of recovery can be increased.