ADDIS ABABA/KIGALI, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed Marburg virus disease cases in Rwanda has risen to 62, with 15 deaths, Rwanda's Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana has announced.
"Cumulatively, we have confirmed 62 cases of the Marburg virus disease in Rwanda. We have recorded 38 recoveries and 15 deaths," Nsanzimana said Thursday evening during a special online media briefing on the multi-country mpox outbreak in Africa and the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda, alongside Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya.
Nsanzimana noted nine people are currently receiving medical treatments in health facilities, with most showing signs of improvement.
With a case fatality rate of around 24 percent, Nsanzimana emphasized that medical treatments and preventive measures are being intensified to reduce fatalities and curb further transmission. He highlighted Rwanda has seen consecutive days with zero fatalities, and recoveries in the past week outpaced deaths.
The Marburg virus disease outbreak, which was first declared in Rwanda on Sept. 27, coincides with Rwanda's ongoing response to manage the mpox outbreak.
Despite the challenges, Africa CDC has urged countries not to impose travel bans or movement restrictions in response.
Marburg virus disease is a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic illness transmitted from fruit bats to humans. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with an infected person's bodily fluids or contaminated materials. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus, and supportive care must be administered immediately. Infection prevention and control protocols similar to those used for Ebola are essential to limiting its spread.
