10th Marburg Disease Death Reported in Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda's health ministry reported today that the sudden Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak had reached 29 cases and ten related fatalities.

On September 30, 2024, the World Health Organization confirmed MVD cases from seven of the 30 districts in Rwanda.

Over 70% of the confirmed cases are healthcare workers from two health facilities in Kigali, a city with about 1.5 million residents.

On September 27, 2024, the Rwanda Ministry of Health reported its first Marburg disease case.

Additionally, the U.S. CDC published a Travel Health Advisory to alert international travelers of this expanding health risk. Marburg virus is a Filovirus that, along with Ebola, can cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever infections. MVD was initially reported in 1967 during an outbreak in Marburg a der Lahn and Frankfurt am Main, West Germany. 

As of October 1, 2024, no Marburg vaccine candidate has been approved to prevent infections in people.