An epidemic of the Marburg virus – an often fatal disease with symptoms similar to the Ebola virus – broke out in Rwanda for the primary time. So far, 46 cases have been reported and 12 deaths. The source of the epidemic continues to be unknown.
Seven hundred doses an experimental vaccine against the virus has just been shipped from the US to Rwanda. The vaccine is currently being administered mainly to healthcare staff, who’ve made up the vast majority of the victims to this point.
The vaccine rollout is an element of a clinical trial, so it is going to take a while before the vaccine’s effectiveness is understood.
The Marburg virus is known as after town in Germany where it first appeared. In 1967, there have been simultaneous outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg and Belgrade, Serbia (then a part of Yugoslavia). The outbreak was brought on by African green monkeys imported from Uganda to be used in experiments. Seven people died.
Since then, there have been several outbreaks of Marburg virus Sub-Saharan Africaincluding in countries bordering Rwanda.
Previous outbreaks have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. The most up-to-date outbreaks were reported in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania between February and June 2023, where nine cases were reported and 6 deaths.
Other countries that previously reported outbreaks include Angola, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and South Africa. An outbreak in Angola in 2005 resulted in the death of 300 people.
Outbreaks normally occur when people come into contact with infected green monkeys, pigs or Egyptian rousette bats (a kind of Old World fruit bat) – a typical carrier of the virus. These bats can often be found in mines and caves. When a disease jumps from an infected animal to a human – so-called zoonotic transmission – it could spread from person to person through body fluids or through contact with contaminated surfaces resembling bedding.
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There aren’t any antiviral drugs that may treat patients. People infected with Marburg virus must continuously hydrate their bodies blood loss is replaced by transfusion.
The incubation period, or the time between exposure to Marburg virus and the onset of symptoms, is five to ten days. Symptoms of Marburg virus disease may appear suddenly and include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea and vomiting.
The virus damages blood vessels and interferes with the blood’s ability to clot, which may lead to uncontrolled clotting bleeding from the nose, eyes, gums, rectum and, in women, from the vagina. The disease has a really high “case fatality rate”. Between 24 and 88% of individuals infected with Marburg virus die – normally because of this of serious blood loss and shock.
Marburg virus disease just isn’t an airborne disease and just isn’t considered contagious until symptoms appear. However, people can remain infectious for months after recovery and spread the disease through body fluids. Men are advised to wear a condom for one 12 months after the primary symptoms appear.
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Rwandan authorities are working to determine the source of the epidemic, the extent of its spread and the date of the primary case.
While Marburg virus disease has been reported in seven of the 30 districts in the East African country, readiness can also be being ensured in unaffected districts to limit the spread and quickly discover any unwanted effects.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with Rwanda’s neighboring countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, to review their preparedness to respond to the epidemic.
WHO assesses the chance of a Marburg virus outbreak as “very high” on the national level and “high” on the regional level. However, at a world level, the chance stays low.