INTERNEWSTIMES.COM – A deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus has claimed the lives of 11 people in Rwanda, with 36 cases confirmed, the country’s health ministry reported Tuesday. The news comes just days after Rwanda declared the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever, which has no authorized vaccine or treatment.
Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana expressed concern about the highly contagious nature of the virus, stating that “Marburg is a rare disease,” and emphasized the country’s efforts to contain the spread through intensified contact tracing and testing.
The source of the outbreak remains unknown, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has previously recorded cases in several African countries including Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana.
The Marburg virus, like its close relative Ebola, originates in fruit bats. It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces such as bedding, clothing, needles, and medical equipment.
Symptoms of the virus include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, chest pain, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. In later stages, patients may experience severe bleeding from various body orifices, shock, delirium, and organ failure.
The virus can be fatal in up to 88% of cases without treatment, and currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments specifically for Marburg.
The incubation period for the virus can range from three days to three weeks, according to Minister Nsanzimana. Rwanda’s health authorities are working tirelessly to control the outbreak and prevent further spread of this deadly disease. (Red)
