Rwanda Confirms Marburg Virus Outbreak: Six Dead, Health Workers Among Victims

Rwanda has reported six fatalities following an outbreak of the Marburg virus, a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.

The virus, known for causing severe fever, bleeding, and organ failure, has infected 20 patients who are currently receiving treatment, according to Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana.

“The majority of those affected, including the deceased, were health workers,” Nsanzimana noted, adding that contact tracing and testing efforts are ongoing to curb the spread.

Marburg belongs to the filovirus family, which includes Ebola, notorious for causing deadly outbreaks across Africa. Tanzania had reported cases in 2023, while Uganda’s last outbreak occurred in 2017. The three countries share porous borders, increasing the risk of transmission.

The virus is believed to originate from African fruit bats, which carry the pathogen without falling ill. It was first identified in 1967 in the German city of Marburg after lab workers were exposed to infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.

Marburg can spread to primates, including humans, and human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with bodily fluids such as blood. Fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks, depending on the virus strain and quality of care, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Currently, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments, though experimental therapies and vaccine candidates are being tested.