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Rwanda starts vaccination campaign to control Marburg virus outbreak | News


The Rwandan government has announced that it has begun administering vaccine doses against the Marburg virus in response to an outbreak of the Ebola-like disease. Since the outbreak was declared on September 27, 12 people have died from the virus. Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana stated that vaccinations would be focused on those most at risk, particularly healthcare workers in treatment centers and hospitals, as well as close contacts of confirmed cases. Rwanda has received vaccine shipments from the Sabin Vaccine Institute and believes that vaccines will be a powerful tool in stopping the spread of the virus.

The Marburg virus has a structure similar to Ebola and is believed to be transmitted by fruit bats. Health authorities in Rwanda have confirmed 46 cases, with 29 patients currently in isolation. At least 400 people have been identified as having come into contact with confirmed cases of the virus. Symptoms of Marburg include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and extreme blood loss, with a high mortality rate of up to 88% in untreated cases.

Marburg outbreaks and individual cases have been recorded in several other African countries in the past. The World Health Organization reports that Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, the DRC, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana have all experienced instances of the Marburg virus. As there is currently no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg, the Rwandan government’s prioritization of vaccination for at-risk individuals is seen as a crucial step in combating the spread of the disease.

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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com

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