WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed the organization's commitment to supporting Rwanda via his X account, stating, "Rwanda's Ministry of Health has reported cases of Marburg. WHO is scaling up its support and will work with the government of Rwanda to stop the spread of the virus and protect people at risk."
On Friday, September 27, 2024, the Ministry of Health confirmed cases of MVD and announced heightened measures to prevent further transmission of the virus.
In a statement, the ministry reported that the disease, which causes severe haemorrhagic fever, has been confirmed in "a few patients in health facilities across the country," and that investigations are underway to identify the source of the infection.
The ministry has urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, vomiting, muscle pain, and stomach aches to contact the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) via its toll-free number 114 or visit the nearest health facility.
Marburg virus disease, part of the same viral family as Ebola, causes severe haemorrhagic fever, leading to multiple organ failure and, in many cases, excessive bleeding. The virus can affect both humans and nonhuman primates and is zoonotic, meaning it is transmitted from animals to humans.
According to WHO, initial human infection with the Marburg virus typically occurs after prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by colonies of Rousettus bats, which are natural carriers of the virus.
Once a person is infected, the virus can spread through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids from an infected person, as well as through contact with contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding and clothing.
The virus was first identified in 1967 in the German city of Marburg, during an outbreak linked to laboratory work involving African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) imported from Uganda.
Since then, outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in countries including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
IGIHE
