Rwanda has declared an official outbreak of the Marburg virus, confirming nearly 30 cases and at least nine deaths by the end of September.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release that most of the 27 cases and nine deaths in Rwanda have occurred among health care workers.
The agency announced it had deployed a team of experts to Rwanda to assist with the response.
“Africa CDC is also collaborating with the Ministry of Health and neighbouring countries of Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and DR Congo to assist in addressing the cross-border aspects of the outbreak and to provide guidance on regional surveillance strategies to contain the outbreak,” the release read.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced this week that it would also provide support to Rwanda health authorities in fighting the Marburg virus outbreak. No cases have been reported in the U.S., though the CDC is advising health care providers to be aware of the potential for imported cases among travelers.
In recent years, outbreaks of Marburg disease have occurred in African countries such as Guinean and Ghana.
The disease is rare but serious and affects both humans and monkeys. The CDC says the disease is transmitted to humans through bodily fluids in the paws of Egyptian cats. After an attack by an animal, the disease can be transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids or fabrics that have come into close contact with an infected person, such as the infected person’s clothing or bed sheets.
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, a flat and raised rash on the upper body, sore throat; nausea; vomiting; and diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus is related to Ebola and has an average mortality rate of 50%.
There is no cure or vaccine for Marburg disease, and supportive care is most commonly recommended.
Rwanda is also affected by the Mpox outbreak, which has primarily affected neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. As of August, WHO reported four confirmed cases of Mpox in the country, with zero deaths.