The virus is a hemorrhagic fever clinically similar to Ebola.
Eleven people have died in Rwanda as the African country continues to battle an outbreak of the Marburg virus.
The Rwandan government said there were 36 confirmed cases of the virus in its latest update, with 25 people in isolation. The outbreak was first declared on September 27.
The authorities then indicated that the first cases had been detected among patients in health establishments and that an investigation was underway “to determine the origin of the infection”.
The source remains unclear a few days later, raising fears of contagion. Isolation of patients and their contacts is essential to stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic fevers like Marburg.
At least 300 people who came into contact with people confirmed to have Marburg have been identified, according to local health authorities.
Rwandans have been asked to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Most of those affected are health professionals spread across six of the country’s 30 districts.
Two Rwandan travelers isolated in Germany
Two Rwandan travelers isolated in Hamburg, Germany, tested negative for the virus this week, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The ECDC said that since transmission requires contact “with bodily fluids of a symptomatic case”, infection among EU citizens traveling to or living in Rwanda is “currently considered low”.
The ECDC recommended that travelers to the East African country avoid contact with anyone with Marburg symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bleeding, or with materials contaminated by the fluids. body of an infected person.
They also recommended that travelers avoid going to healthcare facilities located in areas affected by Marburg virus and avoid habitats with bats or close contact with wild animals.
What is Marburg virus?
Like Ebola, Marburg virus is believed to originate from fruit bats and spread between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces such as contaminated linens.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average mortality rate is around 50 percent. Without treatment, it can be fatal in up to 88 percent of people with the disease.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death from significant blood loss.
