Rwanda records at least 9 deaths from Marburg outbreak

Rwanda has declared a public outbreak of the Marburg virus, confirming nearly 30 infections and at least nine deaths as of the end of September.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a release that most of the 27 cases and nine deaths in Rwanda have occurred among health care workers.

The agency said it dispatched a team of experts to Rwanda to help in its response.

“Africa CDC is also collaborating with the Ministry of Health and neighbouring countries of Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and DR Congo to assist in addressing the cross-border aspects of the outbreak and to provide guidance on regional surveillance strategies to contain the outbreak,” the release read.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week it also is providing assistance to Rwandan health authorities in combatting the Marburg outbreak. No cases have been reported in the U.S., though the CDC is advising health care providers to be aware of the potential for imported cases among travelers.

In recent years, Marburg outbreaks have occurred in African countries like Guinean and Ghana.

The disease is rare but severe and affects both humans and apes. According to the CDC, the disease spreads from the bodily fluids of Egyptian rousette bats to people. Once a zoological spillover has occurred, the disease can spread from person to person through body fluids or fabrics in close contact with an infected individual such as their clothing or bedsheets.

Symptoms are flu-like and include fever; chills; headaches; muscle aches, a torso rash with both flat and raised bumps; sore throat; nausea; vomiting; and diarrhea. The virus is related to Ebola and has an average case mortality rate of 50 percent according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

There are no treatments or vaccines for Marburg, and supportive care is most often the recommended route.

Rwanda has also been impacted by the mpox outbreak primarily affecting the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of August, the WHO reported four confirmed mpox cases in the country and zero deaths.