Rwanda is experiencing an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a deadly hemorrhagic fever that has killed 11 people this year.
The disease has been found in several African countries over the past few decades, but had not previously been detected in Rwanda, in east-central Africa. Rwanda’s Ministry of Health said the country first confirmed the infection in late September and has reported 36 cases since then.
German authorities closed part of Hamburg Central Station this week after a medical student and his companion complained of feeling unwell. The medical student had come into contact with an infected patient while in Rwanda. Authorities announced this week that the two German residents had tested negative for Marburg disease, stressing there was no risk to the public.
Here’s what we know about this disease:
What is Marburg virus disease?
Marburg disease was first detected in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in the German cities of Marburg and Frankfurt, and at a research institute in what is now Belgrade, Serbia. These cases were associated with African green monkeys imported from Uganda. Other cases have since been found in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization.
Marburg virus is the pathogen that causes this disease in humans.
The disease is clinically similar to Ebola in terms of spread, symptoms and progression, but is caused by a different virus, WHO said.
Although Marburg disease is not widely spread, it is much more lethal than Ebola, with fatality rates ranging from 24 to 88 percent, depending on the strain affected and the management of the case, according to the WHO.
Medical experts say there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for the disease, but keeping patients hydrated and treating symptoms can improve their chances of survival.
What are the symptoms of Marburg virus disease?
Marburg disease can cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever, which interferes with the blood’s ability to clot. According to the WHO, the incubation period is between 2 and 21 days, and symptoms begin suddenly with a high fever, severe headache, and severe fatigue.
“The mortality rate is very high,” says Dr. John Amuasi, who heads the Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group at the Collaborative Research Center for Tropical Medicine in Kumasi, Ghana. “And there is no asymptomatic Marburg disease.”
Health authorities say patients can confirm whether they have Marburg disease through antibody, antigen and polymerase chain reaction tests.
What is happening in Rwanda?
Rwandan health authorities declared an outbreak on September 27. According to the latest government update, health authorities have confirmed 36 infections and 11 deaths since the disease was first detected among patients at a health facility.
The origin of the virus is still unknown, and infected people are being isolated to prevent the spread of the disease. According to the CDC, cases have already been confirmed in several parts of the country.
The country’s health minister announced plans for clinical trials and experimental vaccines and treatments in the coming weeks.
“This is part of our efforts to help people recover quickly by leveraging vaccines and medicines specifically developed to fight this epidemic, which are currently in the final stages of research,” said Minister Sabine Nsanzimana. told Reuters.
Cases have been reported outside Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, but the WHO warned that the presence of Marburg region increases the risk of the disease spreading to other countries, as the capital is home to an international airport.
German authorities said the two people tested in Hamburg, northern Germany, including a 26-year-old medical student who came into contact with the patient as part of the research, were well protected.
He and his companion underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, but the results were negative. Health authorities said the passenger had mild symptoms of another illness. As a precautionary measure, the medical student will be quarantined for 21 days, which is the incubation period for Marburg virus disease.
How does this outbreak compare to previous outbreaks?
The outbreak in Rwanda is in its early stages, but with 36 people infected, the situation already appears to be serious.
In 2023, WHO reported 17 confirmed and 23 probable cases in Equatorial Guinea, of which 12 confirmed cases and all probable cases had died. According to the WHO, Tanzania reported six deaths in 2023, of which nine were confirmed cases.In 2022, Ghanaian health authorities reported three people infected with Marburg disease, of which two died. According to the WHO, which declared an outbreak in response to the incident, the three people infected were the same, and one of the victims was a young child.
According to the CDC, there was one case and death in Guinea in 2021, and three out of four people who contracted the disease died in Uganda in 2017.
More than 200 people died from the disease in Angola from 2004 to 2005, and more than 100 people died from the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1998 to 2000, according to the CDC. No other outbreak of Marburg disease has had this many cases.
In the US, the risk is low.
As of Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised travelers to Rwanda to “practice enhanced precautions,” known as Level 2, in travel notices issued for international destinations. I am doing it. (Level 3 recommends reconsidering non-essential travel; Level 4 advises against all travel.)
The CDC said enhanced precautions include avoiding non-emergency medical procedures in endemic areas and avoiding contact with body fluids. People should also avoid areas where bats may be present, such as caves, and avoid approaching traditional healers, authorities said.
The CDC said Thursday that the risk to the general U.S. population remains low. “To date, no cases of Marburg virus disease associated with this outbreak have been reported in the United States,” the CDC said in a statement.
The agency, which has had an office in Rwanda since 2002, has been monitoring the situation there and is sending experts to assist in the investigation and response to the outbreak, it said in a statement.
