Following reports of an outbreak of the deadly Marburg hemorrhagic fever in neighbouring Uganda, officials from the Ministry of Health yesterday said they are going to monitor the evolution of the virus spread before they could issue a public alert.

Speaking to The New Times yesterday, Nathan Mugume, the head of the communication division at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said: "In such a situation, we strengthen border surveillance and work with neighbouring countries to monitor how the virus is scaling up.”

Marburg is a severe and highly fatal disease caused by a virus from the same family as one that causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever. According to the World Health Organisation, the illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with severe headache and malaise.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni confirmed the outbreak on his Twitter account yesterday evening.

He wrote; "The Ministry of Health has confirmed a case of Marburg death. Stay calm but vigilant.

Avoid shaking hands and cooperate with health workers. I have directed the ministry to immediately send out public alerts and provide as much information to the people as possible. Do cooperate.”

Uganda’s Minister of State for Health, Elioda Tumwesigye, said yesterday that one person died and 80 others were being monitored in central Uganda and the western district of Kasese.

"The Ministry of Health would like to inform the country of an outbreak of Marburg which has so far killed one person. Another person who has developed signs is being monitored,” he is quoted as saying.

He said the deceased passed away last week, on September 28, after developing signs of Marburg, which was later confirmed by laboratory tests.

The virus first broke out in Germany in 1967 and its fatality rate was at one point more than 80 per cent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from 1998-2000.

Marburg virus last broke out in Uganda in October 2012 and claimed 17 lives most of whom lived in Kabale district in South-Western Uganda.

Symptoms

Marburg is a killer disease caused by a virus and is spread through direct contact with wounds, and body fluids like blood, saliva, vomitus, stool and urine of an infected person.

A person suffering from Marburg presents sudden onset of high fever with any of the following; headache, vomiting blood, joint and muscle pains and bleeding through body openings such as eyes, nose, gums, ears and the skin. It is highly contagious and kills in a short time but can easily be prevented.

Recovery can take five weeks or more, and is marked by prostration, weight loss, and amnesia for the period of acute illness. Complications during convalescence can include recurrent hepatitis, as well as inflammation of the spinal cord, bone marrow, eyes, testes, and parotid gland.

It also causes swelling of the spleen, lymph nodes, kidneys, sometimes pancreas, and especially brain occurs. Patients finally experience coma and convulsions, followed by death.

Death from shock usually occurs six to nine days after clinical onset of symptoms.