Rwanda reported 46 recoveries from Marburg virus disease after one patient recovered on Monday, October 21. According to the Ministry of Health only one patient remained under treatment on Monday. ALSO READ: Marburg virus came from animal to human, genomic sequencing indicates Since the Marburg virus outbreak was confirmed in Rwanda on September 27, the ministry has reported 62 cases and 15 deaths. With more than 92 per cent reduction in new cases observed in the fourth week, health officials said the outbreak may be dying. The ministry has not reported any new cases since October 15. ALSO READ: Marburg outbreak: What we know 20 days later The fatality rate is 24.1 per cent, below the average 50 per cent for Marburg cases. In most previous Marburg virus outbreaks, the death toll reached up to 88 per cent. The ministry said that genomic sequencing of the Marburg virus indicated that the index case was linked to a zoonotic origin, meaning that the virus came from animal to human, without passing through multiple hosts. The Marburg virus has affected mainly healthcare workers, who make up about 80 per cent of the cases. ALSO READ: How Rwanda detected the first Marburg virus cases In response to the infectious disease, Rwanda implemented a host of measures including limiting hospital and school visits. The government also rolled out a vaccination drive targeting healthcare workers and other high-risk groups. About 1,150 people had received the vaccine made by American organisation Sabin Vaccine Institute. ALSO READ: WHO chief commends Rwanda’s swift response to Marburg outbreak Patients are treated with monoclonal antibodies and the anti-viral drug called remdesivir. The ministry also said two critically ill patients had been successfully extubated, the first such thing on Marburg virus patients in Africa.
