Rwanda’s Health Minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, has confirmed that eight people have died in the country following an outbreak of the Marburg virus.
Most of the victims were healthcare workers in an intensive care unit. Since the outbreak was declared on Friday, 26 cases have been identified, and 8 of them are dead.
Marburg, a virus closely related to Ebola, has a fatality rate of up to 88% and spreads to humans from fruit bats, then through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, death due to extreme blood loss. While there are no specific treatments or vaccines, the World Health Organization notes that various blood products, drugs, and immune therapies are under development.
Rwanda has intensified efforts in contact tracing, surveillance, and testing to contain the outbreak.
Around 300 individuals who had contact with infected people are being monitored.
The health minister urged the public to avoid physical contact to reduce the spread and emphasized the importance of hand hygiene and reporting suspected cases.
Most cases have been reported in Kigali, the capital, where the US embassy has instructed its staff to work remotely for the week. This is the first recorded outbreak of Marburg in Rwanda.
