By MERCYLINE JUMA
At the Namanga border, people move freely, eager to reach their destinations. Life moves on as usual. But just across the border in Tanzania, an invisible threat lurks—one that could bring this bustling scene to a standstill. Tanzania has reported new cases of the Marburg virus, a deadly disease that spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
With a fatality rate of up to 88%, it is as lethal as Ebola. The question now looms over Kenya: Are we prepared if the virus crosses over? Marburg virus was first identified in 1967 in Germany and Serbia. Since then, it has reappeared in African nations such as Uganda, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving devastation in its wake. Communities have been torn apart, health systems stretched to their limits, and economies left reeling.
For Kenya, the threat feels uncomfortably close. The porous borders with Tanzania and Uganda mean that an outbreak is never far from us.
MWINGI TIMES for timely and authoritative news.
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