Rwanda’s Marburg outbreak is under control, Africa’s health chief says. The head of Africa’s top public health agency stated that an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg fever in Rwanda is under control. He also mentioned that travel bans to the East African country are unnecessary. Rwanda officially declared the outbreak on Sept. 27 and has reported 13 fatalities thus far. Presently, there is no authorised vaccine or treatment for Marburg. Last week, Rwanda received 700 doses of a trial vaccine from the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute for health workers, emergency responders, and individuals in contact with confirmed cases.
Jean Kaseya from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention praised Rwanda for its strong response to the outbreak. He stated that the risk of Marburg spreading beyond Rwanda is almost non-existent. Kaseya commended Rwanda’s monitoring of contacts on a daily basis to prevent the potential spread of the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their travel advisory for Rwanda, suggesting screening for recent travellers to the country and advising reconsideration of non-essential travel there.
Kaseya criticised the travel advisory decision, as it was made without consultation with the Africa CDC or Rwanda. He expressed that Rwanda should not face travel restrictions for being transparent about the outbreak. Rwanda has reported a total of 58 confirmed Marburg cases, with 12 recoveries. More than 200 individuals have been vaccinated since the trial vaccines arrived. Marburg, like Ebola, is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads through close contact with infected individuals or surfaces.
Symptoms of Marburg include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, and in severe cases, death due to extreme blood loss. Rwanda has implemented measures to curb the spread of the virus, such as avoiding physical contact, suspending school and hospital visits, and restricting funeral attendees for Marburg victims. The U.S. Embassy in Kigali has advised staff to work remotely and avoid office visits. Marburg outbreaks have occurred in various countries in Africa in the past.
The virus was first identified in 1967 after causing outbreaks in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Research on monkeys led to the exposure of seven individuals to the virus, resulting in fatalities. Rwanda continues its efforts to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread of the Marburg virus.
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