Kenya is on high alert after Tanzania confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus.
The Ministry of Health has called on health officials at the various points of entry to ensure all travellers entering the country from Tanzania are screened to pick up any cases of the virus before entering the country.
Tanzania Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said that up to eight people have been infected with the virus and five have been reported dead.
"Three patients are currently under medication," she said.
Benjamin Murkomen, a port health officer in a memo to all surveillance staff and emergency response teams called for enhanced screening as the virus continues to spread in parts of Tanzania.
"This is to notify you that the health authorities in Tanzania on March 17 issued an alert and declared the outbreak of an unnamed epidemic disease considered to be contagious," Murkomen said.
"The symptoms include fever, vomiting, bleeding from different parts of the body and liver failure. By copy of this memo, you are reminded to enhance screening of travellers who are arriving from this region."
According to World Health Organization, Marburg is in the same family as Ebola.
It is a highly infectious and often fatal hemorrhagic fever.
The disease is transmitted to people from contact with fruit bats and their faeces. For example, male mine workers in bat-infested mines were infected.
It then spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials touched by infected people.
