Everything You Need to Know About the Marburg Virus Outbreak in Rwanda

The Rwandan public has been urged to avoid close contact with those exhibiting Marburg virus symptoms like high fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Healthcare facilities are required to cater to patients with symptoms of the virus “through the careful application of infection prevention and control measures,” while only one caregiver at a time is allowed for those hospitalized.

Marburg virus is a highly fatal disease that causes hemorrhagic fever and has a fatality ratio of up to 88 percent. It’s in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus, with initial human infection resulting from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies. Marburg spreads through human contact, as well as via surfaces and material contaminated with fluids carrying the virus.

Several Marburg virus outbreaks have occurred in African countries over the last few years, including outbreaks in Uganda and Ghana in 2017 and 2022, respectively. Last year, there were outbreaks in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea. All these outbreaks were adequately handled and declared over within a few months.

Rwanda is widely regarded as having one of the best healthcare systems on the continent, and it is expected to comfortably deal with the Marburg virus outbreak. On Sunday, Rwanda’s health minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, addressed a press conference, urging calm and assuring Rwandans that the government, in partnership with the World Health Organization, will work hard to stop the viral outbreak.

“We have said from the start that people should continue their activities as usual. We are in a good place, and similar outbreaks in other countries have lasted no more than two or three months,” Nsanzimana started. “The key now is to stop the spread quickly.”