There’s a frightening outbreak of Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever, happening in Rwanda right now. While the global risk remains low, here’s what you need to know about the origins of the outbreak and how it’s evolving.
This information is current as of 10/3, 6:55am.
There’s a frightening outbreak of Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever, happening in Rwanda right now. While the global risk remains low, here’s what you need to know about the origins of the outbreak and how it’s evolving.
There are 36 confirmed cases of Marburg virus in Rwanda, with 11 deaths reported so far. Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever that spreads through close contact and surfaces that have been contaminated with bodily fluids. It has a very high death rate – up to 88% – and there is no vaccine or treatment.
Officials are worried about the speed with which the initial cases got detected because it might mean that there are many to follow. It also means that the disease may have been circulating for some time already. This might be because Marburg has never been reported in Rwanda before, and a lot of illnesses can cause fever. 70% of these cases have been detected in healthcare workers from two facilities in Kigali.
Marburg virus comes from fruit bats that live in caves and usually strikes in more remote areas than the current outbreak in Rwanda. Some scientists think the virus can transfer from bats to other animals and then to humans. This is the first Marburg outbreak in Rwanda. There have been at least 15 outbreaks globally prior to this.
How scared should we be of this outbreak? So far, the World Health Organization has deemed the risk of the outbreak “very high” at the national level, “high” at the regional level, and “low” at the global level. There is some concern that this virus has taken hold in a capital city. Kigali is a transportation hub, and someone could easily hop on a plane without knowing they’re infected. So while the risk remains low, we will continue to watch this outbreak.
Stay safe, stay well,
Those Nerdy Girls
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