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Amid an outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, travelers entering the United States who have been in Rwanda in the past 21 days will be screened starting next week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday.

There are no confirmed cases of Marburg virus disease – a rare but fatal hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – outside Rwanda and officials said the current risk to the US is low. However, according to HHS, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin public health entry screening the week of October 14 to reduce the risk of importation and spread of cases.

The CDC is also issuing a Level 3 Travel Health Notice advising people to reconsider non-essential travel to Rwanda and sending automated text messages to air travelers arriving from Rwanda to share information and instructions.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of Monday there were 56 confirmed cases of Marburg in Rwanda, including 36 people in isolation and treatment and 12 deaths. Many of the cases involve healthcare workers, the CDC says.

Marburg is an orthomarburg virus, a virus that occurs naturally in flying foxes. It belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. Marburg can be transmitted from person to person when someone comes into contact with bodily fluids from an infected person. People can also become ill after touching a patient’s clothing or bedding.

It is not an airborne virus like the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, which makes it a little easier to control, experts say.

It can take up to three weeks for symptoms to develop after someone has been exposed to the virus. The illness typically begins with a rash and fever. Vomiting and severe headaches and muscle pain may occur. In severe cases, bleeding from the nose, gums, and eyes may occur, and internal bleeding manifests as blood in vomit, urine, and stool. Severe blood loss can lead to shock and death in up to 90% of cases.

There are no specific vaccines or treatments for Marburg; Supportive care consists of rest and fluids.

The CDC and the World Health Organization have deployed teams of experts to Rwanda to provide guidance and support to public health workers there.

White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement on Monday that the US government was working closely with Rwanda to contain the outbreak.

“Since learning of this outbreak, the United States has committed to providing nearly $11 million to address urgent health needs in Rwanda and surrounding countries, including support for surveillance and contact tracing, guidance on infection prevention and control as well as exit controls at Rwanda airport and neighboring border crossings,” he said. “Although there are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or medications for MVD, the United States contributed hundreds of investigational vaccine doses and a small number of investigational therapeutic doses that arrived in Rwanda this weekend.”

In an advisory last week, the CDC urged health care providers in the U.S. to monitor for possible Marburg symptoms in patients with travel history and to isolate those who have symptoms and are at high risk of illness until they test negative. Travelers to the outbreak area are advised to avoid visiting health facilities except for urgent medical care.

CNN’s Jen Christensen and Donald Judd contributed to this report.