The number of people who have recovered from the Marburg virus disease reached 26, as those who are vaccinated rose to 708, as of Monday, October 14, according to the Ministry of Health. A related update shows that 62 cases of the virus had been confirmed as of the same date, which include 15 deaths, and 21 people who were in isolation and receiving treatment. ALSO READ: ‘Positive indication’ as Marburg recoveries outnumber deaths The Ministry of Health’s data indicated that six more people recovered from the virus on Monday, bringing the total to 26 – as 20 had recovered as of Sunday, October 13. One death was reported, which increased the virus death toll to 15. Regarding testing, 3,797 tests had been cumulatively carried out until Monday, with 140 of them being new. The ministry indicated that since the announcement of the first-ever virus outbreak in Rwanda, on September 27, all new confirmed cases have been within the hospital cluster in Kigali and their contacts, and all were under isolation and treatment. There is no evidence of community transmission, it added. On October 12, American organisation Sabin Vaccine Institute delivered approximately 1,000 more doses of its investigational single-dose Marburg vaccine to Rwanda to reinforce response to the outbreak. The development followed the organisation’s initial shipment of 700 doses of the same vaccine on October 5 – nine days after the outbreak was confirmed in Rwanda, on September 27. On Sunday, Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana said the additional vaccine doses offer hope in terms of controling Marburg virus. He also observed that, overall, efforts to contain the outbreak were giving positive results, basing his conclusion on the fact that the number of deaths from the virus were lower than that of recoveries.
