Marburg Virus Disease outbreak: Additional case confirmed, Index case exposed to fruit bats

Today, the Rwanda Ministry of Health reported an additional Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) case in the current outbreak, bringing the outbreak total to 64 confirmed cases and 15 deaths.

In other news about the first ever MVD outbreak in Rwanda, Health minister, Sabin Nsanzimana revealed that the first human Marburg virus disease case in the current outbreak (the index case) occurred in a 27-year-old man who had been exposed to fruit bats in a cave where mining occurs.

The individual had sought treatment at Kigali’s King Faisal Hospital, where he was first diagnosed with and treated for malaria, and Marburg was detected only later. By then, the infection had spread to his close contacts and several health-care staff.