United States: A large scale outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda has made fears of the virus spreading to other countries emerge.
The number of cases, advancing to 27, already ranks the outbreak among the largest involving Marburg on record. Of those individuals, nine of them have died.
More about the news
As experts state, currently, no licensed vaccines are in place to prevent the spread of the disease.
Overall, the majority of the confirmed cases so far – more than 70 percent – occurred in healthcare workers in two hospitals in Kigali, statnews.com reported.
Statement from WHO
However, in a press release on Monday night, the WHO said that the transmission risk of Ebola is considered to be high in neighboring countries.
It also indicated that the disease may affect areas outside the East African region.
However, the WHO said that one contact of a suspected case – the individual who is now believed to be the initial infected person or index patient in this outbreak – did travel to another country.
Its statement did not indicate which country; however, a slide on what is understood to be the chains of transmission was posted on the X social media site named Belgium.
Moreover, other officials said that Belgian authorities were informed that the person might have had contact with a case.
According to WHO’s statement, “appropriate response measures have been implemented” by the country in question.
The international agency added, “WHO assesses the risk of this outbreak as very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level,” statnews.com reported.
“Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the outbreak, and this risk assessment will be updated as more information is received,” it continued.
Similar to other major diseases
While the disease results in the kind of illness associated with its relative Ebola, Marburg, the virus has erupted in fewer than ten cases in the past.
The only way that more than 100 cases have twice been reported. The most serious Marburg outbreak on record was in 2004-2005 in Uije, Angola Marburg virus, with 252 confirmed cases leading to 227 fatalities.
According to Craig Spencer, an associate professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, “Rwanda has become really kind of a stellar standout in the region for its contribution to health security, and it’s clearly improved response not only to things like this — outbreaks and preparedness — but really chronic disease and many other things that have kind of plagued the region in recent history,” statnews.com reported.
The WHO has stated that it sent a team of seven experts to Rwanda in order to stop the spread.
The US CDC also maintained that an office in Rwanda has been offering assistance.