Rwanda is battling its first-ever outbreak of the lethal Marburg virus, with 36 circumstances reported to date and 11 deaths.
The World Well being Group mentioned this week the danger of the outbreak may be very excessive in Rwanda, excessive throughout the African area, and low globally.
What’s Marburg virus?
Marburg is a virus from the identical household as Ebola. It causes a haemorrhagic fever and has a median fatality price of fifty per cent, in response to the WHO, though charges have been as excessive as 88 per cent in earlier outbreaks. Early medical care and rehydration can enhance survival, the UN well being company says.
Signs sometimes embody a sudden excessive fever and excessive headache, in addition to vomiting and diarrhea, following by uncontrolled bleeding.
It was first recognized in Marburg, Germany — therefore the identify — and Belgrade, Serbia in 1967, after laboratory work with African inexperienced monkeys from Uganda led to human infections. Since then, there have been outbreaks and sporadic circumstances in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, the WHO says.
How does Marburg virus unfold?
Marburg spreads to people from extended publicity to mines or caves the place Rousettus fruit bats stay. It might additionally unfold between people, by means of direct contact with the bodily fluids of contaminated folks, or with surfaces or supplies contaminated with these fluids, comparable to blood.
Is there a vaccine?
There aren’t any authorized vaccines or remedies for Marburg, however there are a selection of promising candidates that might start trials quickly, Rwanda’s well being minister has mentioned. These embody vaccine candidates developed by non-profit organisations together with the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which has mentioned it’s working with Rwandan officers on the outbreak, in addition to the Worldwide AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
The staff that developed the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at Oxford College started a trial of its Marburg candidate this summer season within the UK, utilizing related know-how.
What else is occurring?
Rwanda can also be monitoring round 300 contacts of identified circumstances. Round 70 per cent of confirmed circumstances are healthcare employees from two well being services within the capital, Kigali, though circumstances have been reported from seven of the nation’s 30 districts. In addition to spreading in healthcare services, the illness may unfold at funerals for these killed by the illness, which contain shut bodily contact with the deceased in some cultures as they’re ready for burial, mentioned Paul Hunter, a professor of drugs on the College of East Anglia.
Well being authorities all over the world are on excessive alert for any unfold to neighbouring nations or past.
Is Marburg reaching new locations, and why?
Sure – in 2021, Guinea reported West Africa’s first-ever case of Marburg. In 2022, Ghana declared its first-ever outbreak, and Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea did the identical in 2023. These usually small outbreaks have been introduced underneath management with public well being measures. Scientists have mentioned the elevated frequency of the outbreaks appear to be linked to human encroachment on animal habitats.
The Rwanda outbreak is already one of many largest ever.
