Rwanda is dealing with its first outbreak of deadly Marburg virus
Rwanda has reported its first Marburg virus outbreak, which has already sickened 26 people, with 8 fatalities, across 7 of the country’s 30 districts. The outbreak comes as Africa battles multiple infectious disease events, including the complex spread of multiple mpox clades. Marburg virus causes a viral hemorrhagic fever disease with symptoms similar to Ebola.
Most of the patients are health workers, especially those working in intensive care units, from different medical facilities, according to a Rwandan media report. The government has limited the size of funerals for those who died from the disease to 50 people and said that hospitalized Marburg patients will be limited to one caregiver.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is collaborating closely with national authorities to provide the needed support to further enhance the ongoing efforts. The WHO has sent a team of seven international experts specializing in hemorrhagic diseases to Rwanda to assist local public health officials. Additionally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will dispatch specialists to Rwanda to bolster testing and contact-tracing initiatives.
The virus has been detected in seven of the country’s 30 districts, with over 100 individuals who have been in contact with infected patients either under observation or in isolation. A significant number of those affected are healthcare professionals. Marburg is classified as an orthomarburgvirus, which is naturally found in fruit bats, and belongs to the same viral family as Ebola.
The public has been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Contact tracing is underway, with about 300 contacts under follow-up as of 29 September 2024. The source of the infection is still under investigation.
