Rwanda Declares End to First Marburg Virus Outbreak

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Above: Adriana Diaz (left) and Rwandan Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana (right) speak onstage during the annual Goalkeepers NYC event, hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Sept. 23, 2024. Image copyright: Kevin Hagen/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Rwanda officially declared the end of its first Marburg Virus Disease outbreak on Friday, following 42 consecutive days without new cases after the last patient tested negative.

  • The outbreak, which began on Sept. 27, resulted in 66 confirmed cases and 15 deaths, with a fatality rate of approximately 23%, lower than the typical range of 24-88%.

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The Spin

Narrative A

The Rwandan government, supported by the World Health Organization, efficiently managed the Marburg outbreak through swift action, including comprehensive surveillance, testing, and contact tracing, reducing cases by 90%. Their strong leadership and health system response were key, cutting cases in half early on and leading to no new cases in a timely fashion.

AFRO

Narrative B

While this is encouraging news, we must avoid using this victory as an excuse for complacency. On a global scale, the Marburg virus remains vastly underfunded and understudied, with no established treatment options such as vaccines or antiviral drugs. This is particularly concerning given its pandemic potential, evidenced by its past spreading from endemic regions in Africa to non-endemic areas like Europe.

Frontiers

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