Marburg virus death toll hits 11 as German travellers test negative

Eleven people have died in Rwanda as the African country continues to fight an outbreak of Marburg virus.

The Rwandan government said there were 36 confirmed cases of the virus in its latest update, with 25 people in isolation.

Two people were also isolated in Germany this week to be tested for the virus after they travelled from Rwanda. One person was a medical student who had worked in a hospital and been in contact with a Marburg patient while wearing protective equipment.

Both travellers have since tested negative and will continue to be monitored.

The outbreak in Rwanda was first declared on September 27. Authorities said at the time that the first cases had been found among patients in health facilities and that an investigation was underway “to determine the origin of the infection”.

The source remains unclear days later, raising contagion fears. Isolating patients and their contacts is key to stopping the spread of viral haemorrhagic fevers like Marburg.

At least 300 people who came into contact with those confirmed to have Marburg have been identified, according to local health authorities.

Rwandans have been urged to avoid physical contact to help curb the spread. Most of the affected people are healthcare workers across six out of 30 districts in the country.

Risk of infection in EU considered ‘low’

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that since transmission requires contact “with the bodily fluids of a symptomatic case,” infection in EU citizens travelling to or living in Rwanda is “currently considered low”.

The ECDC recommended that travellers to the East African country avoid contact with anyone exhibiting Marburg symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding, or with materials contaminated by an infected person’s bodily fluids.

They also recommended that travellers avoid visiting healthcare facilities in areas affected by the Marburg virus and avoid habitats with bats or close contact with wild animals.

What is Marburg virus?

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average case fatality rate is about 50 per cent. Without treatment, it can be fatal in up to 88 per cent of people who fall ill with the disease.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.