Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana revealed the findings during a press briefing in Kigali on Sunday, October 21, 2024, stating that the index case was a 27-year-old man who contracted the virus through contact with bats in a local cave.
Dr. Nsanzimana explained that extensive research, including genomic sequencing, epidemiological investigations, and environmental testing, pointed to a zoonotic origin, meaning the virus jumped from an animal to a human.
"The index case we presented today is a 27-year-old male," he said, adding that the case shows a close evolutionary relationship to a strain observed during the 2014 outbreak in the region.
"Through our contact tracing, beginning from the hospital, we combined all five elements, which led us, with high precision, to determine that this was of zoonotic origin. This man had been exposed in a particular area of a cave with a specific species of bat that has been sequenced before in the region, confirming the link to the outbreak we are currently dealing with."
The Marburg virus is a highly contagious disease that causes severe hemorrhagic fever. While outbreaks are rare, they often result in high mortality rates and present serious public health challenges.
According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak in Rwanda was first identified after the index case was hospitalized at King Faisal Hospital, where he was treated in the intensive care unit. Healthcare workers attending to him soon exhibited symptoms, triggering an investigation into the source of the virus.
"Identifying the index case has been the result of several efforts. We are very happy to have reached this point because in many outbreaks, it is extremely difficult to do so,' the minister added.
With efforts continuing, the Ministry of Health remains focused on controlling the outbreak and ensuring that Rwanda is prepared for future health crises.
"We continue to expand our understanding of these dynamics within a One Health context. We will be providing more details about this index case and how we can prepare for preventing future outbreaks,' Dr. Nsanzimana emphasized.
Since the first-ever outbreak was declared in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, a total of 62 cases, 14 deaths, and 45 recoveries have been recorded. The fatality rate stands at 24%, significantly lower compared to the 88% observed in past outbreaks globally.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was present at the joint media briefing in Kigali, acknowledged Rwanda's positive trend in managing the health emergency, as there have been no new cases or deaths in the past week.
The WHO chief highlighted that Rwanda was the first country in Africa to successfully intubate and later extubate patients suffering from the Marburg virus, a significant medical breakthrough.
He attributed the achievements to strategic measures and effective health interventions.
'We believe this is the first time patients with Marburg virus have been extubated in Africa. These patients would have died in previous outbreaks,' Dr. Tedros said, citing a recent incident where two patients successfully recovered.
'This reflects the work Rwanda has done over the years to strengthen the health system, to develop capacity in critical care and life support that can be deployed both in regular hospital care and emergencies,' he added.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-s-marburg-virus-outbreak-linked-to-animal-origin
