Rwanda is battling its first outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, with 36 cases reported so far and 11 deaths.
The World Health Organization said the risk of outbreak is very high in Rwanda, high throughout the African region and low globally.
What is Marburg virus?
The Marburg virus belongs to the same family as Ebola. It causes hemorrhagic fever and has an average mortality rate of 50%, according to the WHO, although in previous outbreaks rates have reached 88%. Early clinical care and rehydration can improve survival, says the UN health agency.
Symptoms usually include sudden high fever and severe headacheas well as vomiting and diarrhea, followed by uncontrolled bleeding.
It was first identified in Marburg, Germany (hence its name) and Belgrade, Serbia, in 1967, after laboratory work with African green monkeys from Uganda led to infections in humans.
Since then, there have been outbreaks and sporadic cases in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, according to the WHO.
How is it spread?
Marburg virus is transmitted to humans through prolonged exposure to mines or caves where Rousettus fruit bats live. It can also be transmitted between humans, through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people, or with surfaces or materials contaminated with those fluids, such as blood.
Is there a vaccine?
Rwanda’s health minister has said there are no approved vaccines or treatments for Marburg, but there are a number of promising candidates that could begin trials soon.
These include vaccine candidates developed by nonprofit organizations such as the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which has said it is working with Rwandan officials on the outbreak, as well as the International Initiative for AIDS vaccine (IAVI).
The team that developed the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Oxford has begun a trial of its Marburg candidate in the United Kingdom, using similar technology.
What else is happening?
Rwanda is also following up on about 300 contacts of known cases. About 70% of confirmed cases are health workers at two health centers in the capital, Kigali, although cases have been reported in seven of the country’s 30 districts.
In addition to spreading in health care facilities, the disease can also spread at funerals of those who died from the disease, which involve close physical contact with the deceased in some cultures as they are prepared for burial, said Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine from the University of East Anglia.
Health authorities around the world are on alert for any spread to neighboring countries or beyond.
Is Marburg reaching new places and why?
Yes, in 2021, Guinea reported the first Marburg case in West Africa. In 2022, Ghana declared its first outbreak, and Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea followed suit in 2023. These generally small outbreaks were closely controlled. health measures public. Scientists have said the increased frequency of outbreaks appears to be related to human encroachment on the animals’ habitats.
The outbreak in Rwanda is already one of the largest in history.
(With information from Reuters)
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