Rwanda Declares Marburg Virus Outbreak With 8 Deaths

By Adebowale Bello. Freelance Health Writer.

Wednesday, October 2, 2024. Rwanda is facing a deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus (MVD), a highly contagious disease that has already claimed eight lives and infected 26 others, according to health authorities. The virus, which originates from fruit bats, is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces such as bedding. Without treatment, the disease is fatal in up to 88% of cases.

The Rwandan Ministry of Health declared the outbreak on Friday and within 24 hours, six deaths had already been reported. By Sunday evening, Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana confirmed that the number of cases had risen to 26, with eight of those infected succumbing to the illness.

This is the first ever report of MVD in Rwanda.

Authorities are urging the public to immediately halt physical contact with others as they work to curb the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, contact tracing efforts have already identified approximately 300 individuals who were in contact with confirmed cases and several of these individuals have been placed in isolation facilities, although the exact number remains undisclosed.

Healthcare workers have been particularly impacted as they make up 70% of confirmed cases that have been recorded in seven of the country’s 30 districts. "Marburg is a rare but serious disease," Nsanzimana told journalists. "We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to contain the outbreak." He also noted that the source of the infection has not yet been identified.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has swiftly ramped up its involvement, deploying resources to assist Rwanda in containing the outbreak. The organization will coordinate efforts to strengthen surveillance, case management and public health education to help stop the virus from spreading further. The Rwandan government has also shared a hotline to the public in order to report suspected cases as early detection is vital. Infection prevention and control measures such as hand hygiene have also been implemented in all health facilities.

With Rwanda now battling this deadly outbreak, the international community is closely monitoring the situation, fearing a potential spread to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the risk of this outbreak as very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level. Previous Marburg outbreaks in Africa have demonstrated how quickly the virus can devastate communities.

About Marburg Virus

The Marburg virus is a highly contagious and deadly virus that belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus, the Filoviridae. It was first identified in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia, among laboratory workers exposed to infected monkeys.

Transmission occurs through direct contact with the bodily fluids (such as blood, saliva, or urine) of an infected person or contaminated surfaces and materials like bedding or clothing. The Marburg virus has an incubation period of two to 21 days and symptoms typically include high fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, with severe cases resulting in death due to extreme blood loss.

There is currently no available treatment or vaccine for MVD, which is why it is important that people at risk be aware of the early symptoms of Marburg, and seek care early for supportive treatment. This can improve their survival considerably.

In past years, Marburg outbreaks have been recorded in several African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Angola, Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea. Due to its high mortality rate and contagious nature, Marburg is considered a significant public health concern. 

Source: World Health Organization Newsroom

Related: How Tanzania Successfully Managed the Marburg Virus Outbreak

Published: October 2, 2024

© 2024. Datelinehealth Africa Inc. All rights reserved.

Permission is given to copy, use and share content for non-commercial purposes without alteration or modification and subject to source attribution.