Rwanda and WHO declare end of Marburg outbreak after no new cases reported
The World Health Organization and the Rwandan government have declared the outbreak in Rwanda of the Ebola-like Marburg fever over after no new cases were registered in recent weeks
By IGNATIUS SSUUNA
Published - Dec 20, 2024, 11:18 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 20, 2024, 11:18 AM EST
KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The World Health Organization and the Rwandan government on Friday declared the outbreak in Rwanda of the Ebola-like Marburg fever over after no new cases were registered in recent weeks.
The country first declared the outbreak on Sept. 27 and reported a total of 15 deaths and 66 cases, with the majority of those affected healthcare workers who handled the first patients.
Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss.
There is no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg, though Rwanda received hundreds of doses of a vaccine under trial in October.
