Death toll from Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda rises to eleven

MADRID 3 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Rwandan authorities have reported that the number of deaths has increased to eleven, while 36 more are infected after contracting the Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever, following the detection of new cases.

The Ministry of Health has announced that one person has died and that seven more have been affected in the last few hours, which is why the balance has reached a preliminary figure of eleven deaths and 36 infected throughout the country, of which 25 are receiving treatment, as reported by the RBA television network on its X social network account.

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that infection prevention measures “are essential to stop the spread of Marburg virus disease” and has reported that it has delivered, together with the Health Agency The United States for International Development (USAID) more than 500 clinical care kits and infection prevention and control supplies as outbreak control efforts intensify in Rwanda.

Marburg virus is transmitted to humans from fruit tree bats and has a mortality rate of between 25 and 90 percent depending on how quickly it is treated. Symptoms of the infection include headache, vomiting blood, and muscle pain.

There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus, which has similarities to Ebola. To increase the survival of those infected, maintenance therapy (oral or intravenous rehydration) and symptomatic treatment are used.

In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea.