Rwanda eyes ‘zero Marburg cases, deaths’ amid positive outbreak management

By The Inspirer.

Rwanda’s handling of the ongoing Marburg virus outbreak is showing promising signs, with health authorities hopeful of achieving several consecutive days without new cases or deaths, according to Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana.

Addressing the issue on Thursday, October 17, during a virtual press briefing hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Nsanzimana discussed the Marburg and Mpox outbreaks across the continent.

Rwanda officially confirmed the Marburg virus outbreak on September 27, marking the start of its public health response.

During the briefing, Dr. Nsanzimana announced that Rwanda had not recorded any new Marburg cases in the past three days, a hopeful indicator of containment.

“We believe the ring vaccination strategy, aimed at close contacts of confirmed cases, has played a crucial role in controlling the virus,” Nsanzimana explained. “Additionally, the intensive work by healthcare teams on the ground has been instrumental in identifying and managing cases and contacts.”

Sharing encouraging news, he added, “The trend is positive, and we are optimistic that soon, or very soon, we will experience several days with zero cases and zero deaths.”

Over the past week, those recovering from the virus in treatment centers have outnumbered fatalities, providing further hope.

“We’ve confirmed 62 Marburg virus cases in Rwanda, with 15 recorded deaths,” Nsanzimana detailed, noting the case fatality rate stands at 24%. As of October 17, five more patients had recovered, bringing the total to 43, while four individuals remain under treatment.

He highlighted that all confirmed cases so far have been within hospital clusters, preventing wider community spread.

“The overall trend is encouraging, both in terms of the sharp decline in new infections and the reduction in mortality, which is a great morale booster for those on the frontlines,” Nsanzimana said.

Vaccination and treatment efforts continue to show progress.

“Vaccination efforts, especially for close contacts of confirmed cases, are ongoing,” Nsanzimana confirmed, adding that new therapeutics have contributed positively to the outcomes seen.

“We’ve vaccinated 856 people since the campaign started, and we plan to continue targeting high-risk individuals, including healthcare workers on the frontlines.”

In terms of treatment, Rwanda is utilizing monoclonal antibodies and the antiviral drug Remdesivir. The country is also administering a single-dose investigational Marburg vaccine developed by the Sabin Vaccine Institute, according to health ministry reports.

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