ADDIS ABABA Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- One month since the Marburg virus disease outbreak, Rwanda has recorded 10 consecutive days with no new death but one single case over the same period, according to Rwandan Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana.
Nsanzimana made the announcement while addressing a special online media briefing Thursday 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) officials. He said the number of confirmed Marburg virus disease cases in Rwanda has risen to 63, with a single new case confirmed Wednesday, the first in 10 days.
"It is a month since the first cases of the Marburg virus disease were confirmed in Rwanda. It is an outbreak that we are controlling. We have had almost nine days without new cases, but (on Wednesday) one of the health professionals who has been taking care of all the Marburg cases tested positive," the health minister said.
Noting that the health professional who tested positive for the virus is currently doing well, Nsanzimana said the latest case "is important information that even if we had this period without a new case (of death), this one still happened."
"The good thing is that the person has been in the treatment center and has no contact outside as the center is under high infection prevention protocol," he added.
Nsanzimana also said the majority of the 15 casualties so far are health professionals. Some 46 patients have recovered from the disease, with an overall case fatality rate of 23.8 percent.
"This is very good, given the traditional statistics of a higher fatality rate for this virus. The overall case fatality rate is the lowest compared to previous Marburg virus outbreaks," he said.
The health minister disclosed that health experts can trace back and identify the cause of the outbreak, which is of a zoonotic origin.
"We were also able to find the cave where this particular fruit bats were living with human activity, particularly mining. That is where we found the index case," He said, adding that Rwandan health authorities are now working to ensure that these fruit bats living in caves are not infecting humans.
The Marburg virus disease outbreak, which was first declared in Rwanda on Sept. 27, coincides with the country's ongoing response to manage the mpox outbreak.
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.
