Minister of Health, Dr. Nsanzimana said everything is in place to contain the Marburg outbreak.
It is a deadly disease, but with the right responses which are already in progress, with support from the public, the country may see the back of the disease in as little as three months. That is the message from the Rwanda Ministry of Health.
The Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nzazimana addressed journalists and members of civil society organisations, to update the country on the status of the Marburg virus outbreak.
The Minister once again confirmed the death of six people, all of whom were health workers. Twenty of their colleagues are still receiving treatment. “They put their lives on the line to save people’s lives, and we are now working hard to save theirs” he said of those undergoing treatment.
Little is still known about the origin of the outbreak, other than that it was first detected in two referral hospitals in Kigali. But the minister emphasised that the most urgent need is to trace everyone who has in any way come into contact with an infected person.
Once the virus was identified, already existing procedures to respond to pandemics were begun. The process includes contact tracing and testing. So far 300 people, who had some form of contact with those infected have been traced.
All will be tested to see if they have the virus, and the medical teams will determine what should then be done with each individual, depending on the closeness that each person may have had with the infected person.
The virus is not new to Africa, with Tanzania and Guinea suffering an outbreak only last year. It is however the first case of an outbreak in Rwanda.
“Each epidemic is different, and requires a specific approach, but as a country in a region that is prone to these types of deadly viruses, Rwanda has disaster preparedness procedures in place, which was immediately deployed with this outbreak” said Nsanzimana.
He emphasised that people should continue with their normal lives, but urged greater observance of hygiene, and to immediately seek medical help, or telephone the Rwanda Biomedical Contre (RBC) on 114, if they themselves feel or come across anyone with symptoms that may indicate the possible infection of the virus.
Marburg Symptoms
The virus’s symptoms are similar to those of malaria. Anyone who has severe headaches, aching joints, high fever, and gastric disturbance, should be isolated, and immediately seek medical help, or call RBC on 114.
Unlike Covid-19, the disease is not airborne, and can only be contracted by coming into contact with secretions from an infected person, including touching their clothing, or anything else on which they may have left any such secretions.
As was with any such outbreak, Rwanda’s community based healthcare system has come into its own, and not only Rwanda itself, but the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has pledged its full support, are confident the virus will be quickly contained.
The WHO Rwanda country representative, Dr Brian Chilombo, outlined the help that the organisation and its partners in the rest of the UN, was already extending to Rwanda.
“Rwanda has a robust community healthcare system, which makes it much easier to trace and contain this virus.” WHO, he said, is ready to provide further equipment for testing, some experimental treatments, and in the next few days, seven expert researchers who specialise in the virus, will arrive in Rwanda, to be integrated into the country’s healthcare structure, to help better understand the disease.
In some cases, it can take between three and twenty-one days before an infected person begins to show symptoms of the virus. Although there is as yet no known cure, the earlier the infected person receives medical attention the better their chances of survival. Once infected, the fatality rate can be between 25-88%.
From Rwanda’s own epidemic preparedness already in progress, unstinting support from WHO, all that remains is for people to be armed with the right information, to protect themselves and their neighbours, by reporting any suspected cases, for the virus to be contained, in as little time as possible.
