Africa: Rwanda’s Marburg Outbreak Claims 15 Lives

Rwanda has had 62 cases and 15 deaths from its Marburg outbreak since its declaration three weeks ago, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said during a media briefing.

“Seventeen people are in isolation and care, 30 have recovered, and more than 800 contacts are being followed up,” Tedros said.

He echoed previous statements that travel and trade restrictions are unnecessary and could harm local economies.

Meanwhile, a clinical trial for vaccines and treatments has commenced, involving partnerships with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health and the University of Oxford.

Tedros also addressed the mpox outbreaks on the continent, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), where testing remains inadequate.

“One of the key challenges we face is in understanding the dynamics of transmission in DRC.

“While most suspected cases in Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have been confirmed or ruled out by testing, in DRC, less than half of suspected cases have been tested, and only around half of those have been positive.

“It’s possible that some or many of the suspected cases of mpox are being confused with other diseases such as measles or chickenpox, which can have similar symptoms,” he said.

WHO is also enhancing testing efforts and approved a second diagnostic test.

Vaccination campaigns are continuing for high-risk populations, with over 19,000 vaccinated in DR Congo alone.

“Last week we also expanded the prequalification of the MVA-BN vaccine for people aged 12 to 17,” Tedros said.

The WHO head reiterated the need for coordinated international responses to effectively manage these health crises.