Rwandan health authorities are intensifying efforts to combat the Marburg virus outbreak following the confirmation of 26 cases and six deaths to date.
The virus has been detected in seven of the country’s 30 districts. Twenty patients are currently isolated and receiving treatment, while 161 individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases are under surveillance. Authorities are strengthening their response and continuing investigations to determine the source of the infection.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting these efforts by mobilizing its expertise and providing emergency medical supplies. A shipment of supplies for clinical care, infection prevention, and control is being prepared and will be sent to Kigali from the WHO’s health emergencies center in Nairobi, Kenya, in the coming days.
“We are rapidly implementing all essential components of the outbreak response to help Rwanda contain the spread of this virus as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. She added that, given the country’s robust emergency public health response system, WHO is working closely with Rwandan authorities to bolster ongoing efforts.
The WHO is also coordinating cross-border measures in neighboring countries to ensure early detection and control of the virus to prevent its spread.
Although several promising medical countermeasures are under development, no vaccine is currently approved for the Marburg virus. WHO is overseeing a consortium of experts to accelerate the preclinical and clinical development of vaccines and therapies for the Marburg virus.
The Marburg virus, highly virulent, causes hemorrhagic fever with a mortality rate of up to 88%. It belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. The illness caused by the Marburg virus begins abruptly with high fever, severe headaches, and malaise. Many patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms within seven days. The virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as contaminated surfaces and objects.
Source: WHO
