WHO: One of the concerns for Marburg region in Rwanda is the number of infected people at the border and in the capital

In Rwanda, the majority of infected people'The spread of the Marburg virus has infected health care workers, and some cases of the disease have also been reported in areas bordering three other African countries, both of which share many of the worrying features of this outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced yesterday in its first report. risk assessment.

Origin of Marburg virus—Rwanda'first—Not yet'Details are unclear and the case is pending further investigation by Rwandan health authorities, the WHO said. Today’s announcement from Rwanda’s Ministry of Health reported Two more cases and one death were added, bringing the total number of cases to 29, of which 10 have died. The outbreak is already one of the largest involving Marburg virus, a close relative of Ebola.

26 cases identified by WHO'Update includes healthcare workers from two hospitals in Kigali'the capital of The WHO said infections among healthcare workers could lead to further spread if not controlled early.

Border risks to DRC, Uganda and Tanzania

““The importance of screening all persons entering health facilities and monitoring hospitalized patients for rapid identification, isolation and notification cannot be overemphasized,” WHO said. According to media coveragethe country has banned visits to hospitals and only allowed one caregiver per patient.

The confirmed cases in Kigali pose a risk of international spread, given that Kigali has an international airport and road links to several East African cities.

One out of 300 contacts of confirmed cases had traveled to Belgium. Belgian health officials told WHO the person remains healthy, has completed a 21-day surveillance period and poses no risk to public health.

Seven of these countries and regions have reported cases. Most have been reported in and around Kigali, but some have also been reported from Rubavu in the west, on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Nyagatare, near the Uganda-Tanzania border.

Tanzania, along with Equatorial Guinea, reported its first Marburg virus outbreak in 2023. WHO said affected areas in Tanzania are affected.'The source of the outbreak was Kagera, which borders Rwanda.

WHO assessed the risk in Marburg region as very high for Rwanda, high for the region, but low at a global level.

Rwanda's advantages and future challenges

above × Yesterday, Craig Spencer, MD, MPH, an emergency medicine physician who worked in West Africa in the same region.'He is also a survivor of Ebola and the Ebola outbreak, and said that although Ebola and Marburg are similar viruses, there are important differences, particularly that while vaccines and treatments for Ebola have been approved, the Marburg version is . He said he was extremely frustrated after several recent outbreaks in the canton of Marburg. year. He is currently enrolled at Brown University'School of Public Health.

he said rwanda'The outbreak has likely been smoldering for several weeks, but it can be difficult to detect the first cases, especially in countries with ongoing outbreaks.'We have never fought a similar epidemic before.

Rwanda'Spencer said America's health care system is strong and has already done an excellent job in epidemiological investigation and contact tracing.

He said that while the concentration of cases in Kigali was concerning, it was also allowing health authorities to deploy mitigation and contact tracing measures more efficiently, adding that most cases were at the border. He added that what was happening nearby was perhaps more worrying. Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi have weak health systems.

Supportive care can save lives and Rwanda's clinical capacity is excellent, Spencer said. “But building and maintaining a strong provider population over time is always very difficult, especially when some people get sick. ”