Rwandan health authorities have reported that Marburg hemorrhagic fever has claimed the lives of 11 people, as the country continues to probe the source of an outbreak initially identified among patients in medical facilities.
The Rwandan government's latest update confirms 36 cases of the disease, which presents symptoms similar to Ebola. Of these, 25 are currently in isolation.
The outbreak was declared on September 27, with six deaths reported the following day. At that time, authorities noted that the first cases were detected among patients in health facilities, and an investigation was launched to "determine the origin of the infection."
"Marburg is a rare disease," said health minister Sabin Nsanzimana on Sunday. "We are intensifying contact tracing and testing to help stop the spread.
Days later, the source of the outbreak remains unclear, fueling concerns of further contagion in the small central African nation. Isolating patients and their contacts is crucial to containing the spread of viral hemorrhagic fevers like Marburg.
The World Health Organization has warned that cases in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, pose a risk of international transmission due to the city's international airport and road connections to other East African cities.
In response to the growing international concern, two individuals were isolated in Hamburg, Germany, after returning from Rwanda, where they had been in a medical facility with Marburg virus patients, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Both individuals tested negative for the Marburg virus, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
German media reported that concerns over the virus led authorities to cordon off two tracks at a railway station where the two had arrived. One of the individuals, a young medical student, had developed symptoms and contacted doctors while on the train.
In Rwanda, most of the affected individuals are healthcare workers, spread across six of the country's 30 districts. Some patients reside in districts bordering Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Rwandan health authorities have identified at least 300 people who came into contact with confirmed Marburg patients, with some now in isolation facilities.
Rwandans have been advised to avoid physical contact to limit the spread of the virus. Preventative measures include suspending school and hospital visits and restricting the number of people attending funerals for Marburg victims. Home vigils for those who have died from the virus are prohibited.
The U.S. Embassy in Kigali has advised its staff to work remotely and avoid office visits.
Similar to Ebola, the Marburg virus is thought to originate in fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces, like bed sheets.
Symptoms Of Marburg Virus
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Marburg virus symptoms include:
Fever
Chills
Headache
Muscle pain
Rash
Chest pain
Sore throat
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Unexplained bleeding or bruising
In severe cases, extreme blood loss can lead to the patient's death.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for the virus. Without treatment, the virus can have a fatality rate of up to 88%.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), previous Marburg outbreaks and isolated cases have been reported in Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Uganda, Kenya, and Ghana.
The virus was first identified in 1967 when it caused simultaneous outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven individuals, who had been exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys, died.
Vaccine For Marburg Virus
Researchers are racing against time to develop and deploy vaccines and treatments for the deadly virus rapidly spreading in Rwanda.
Currently, there are no approved therapies or vaccines for the Marburg virus. However, if the current outbreak persists—though most outbreaks tend to be small and quickly contained—health officials and researchers aim to gather crucial data on the safety and potential effectiveness of vaccines and treatments.
On September 30, the WHO in Geneva held a teleconference with Rwandan scientists, appointed by the government to lead potential trials, and members of the Marburg Virus Vaccine Consortium (MARVAC), which includes companies, non-profit organizations, and researchers, according to a WHO spokesperson.
