Marburg Virus Disease outbreak update: More cases and an additional death
Largest Marburg outbreak in two decades
Since my last update on October 1, the Rwanda Health Ministry reported seven additional confirmed cases and one death on October 2, and one additional confirmed case on October 3, bringing the current outbreak total to 37 cases and 11 deaths, with a case fatality of 30 percent.
In addition, 21 cases are still in isolation and being treated, while five people have recovered.
The World Health Organization reports the index patient died on September 8 and that the outbreak involves patients at two Kigale hospitals, King Faisal and University Teaching Hospital.
Of the total cases, the Africa CDC says at least 29 have been identified as health workers- part of a cluster of people who had close contact in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital where the probable index patient was treated.
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Cases have been reported from seven of the 30 districts in Rwanda, with three districts (Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge) in Kigali Province reporting the highest number of cases. Other districts reporting cases include Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kamonyi, and Rubavu.
According to a Reuters report today, Gilead Sciences said on Thursday it would donate about 5,000 vials of its antiviral drug remdesivir to the Rwanda Medical Supply for emergency use in response to the Marburg virus outbreak.
The drug is being supplied in conjunction with Rwanda's health ministry and the Africa Centers for Disease Control, Gilead said.
Remdesivir, used during the pandemic to treat COVID-19 and originally developed to treat Ebola, is not approved for the treatment of Marburg disease anywhere and its safety and efficacy against the virus is unknown, the drugmaker said.
The current MVD outbreak in Rwanda is the largest since the 2004-2005 outbreak in Uige Province, Angola when 252 cases and 227 deaths were registered (90 percent fatality rate).
CDC issues travel advisory for Rwanda due to Marburg virus outbreak
