Situation Report: Marburg Virus Detected in Rwanda

Share this article

Rwandan health authorities are intensifying outbreak control efforts following the detection of Marburg virus disease (MVD), with 27 confirmed cases and nine deaths reported as of October 1, 2024. MVD is a rare, severe viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) similar to Ebola.

High Risk of Regional Spread

Most cases in this outbreak have involved health professionals in the capital Kigali, a major regional and international travel hub, raising concerns about international spread. The World Health Organization has categorized the risk of regional spread as high, with one contact of a suspected case already having traveled to another country. However, the global risk is considered low at this stage.

U.S. health care professionals should stay informed about international outbreaks, especially in regions with travel connections to the U.S. To date, no cases of MVD related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States, and the anticipated risk of MVD to the general population in the United States is low.

Health Care Facility Preparedness and Infection Control

The outbreak highlights the critical importance of strict infection control measures, especially for health care workers, as 70 percent of the cases in Rwanda have been in medical staff. U.S. health care facilities should ensure that their protocols for managing viral hemorrhagic fevers like Marburg are up-to-date, including appropriate personal protective equipment. U.S. health care professionals should be aware of available resources, such as CDC guidelines and WHO recommendations, for managing viral hemorrhagic fevers like Marburg.

To help health care facilities prepare, NETEC developed the Health Care Facility Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Preparedness Checklist. This tool helps health care facilities assess their readiness to identify, isolate, inform, and treat patients with suspected or confirmed viral hemorrhagic fevers. It guides a review of immediate care capabilities and offers resources to address any preparedness gaps.

Limited Treatment and Vaccine Options

There are no licensed vaccines or treatments for Marburg virus disease, although investigational medical countermeasures exist. U.S. health care professionals should stay informed about ongoing research and development of vaccines or treatments that may be deployed in outbreak scenarios.

Written by the NETEC Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN) and published in 2020, “Marburg virus disease: A summary for clinicians,” summarizes MVD countermeasures, focusing on pathogenesis, clinical features, and diagnostics, with an emphasis on therapies and vaccines that have demonstrated potential for use in an emergency situation, through their evaluation in non-human primates (NHPs) and/or in humans.

Monitoring for Symptoms in Travelers

Even though the risk of MVD to the general population in the United States is low, health care workers in the United States should be on the lookout for potential cases of MVD. Health care providers should be alert to the possibility of Marburg virus cases among patients with recent travel to affected regions. Prompt identification, isolation, and reporting of suspect cases are essential to prevent local spread, even though the risk of U.S. cases remains low at this time. U.S. health care providers should work closely with state and local health departments to report suspected cases.

NETEC has developed a tip sheet that outlines the Identify, Isolate, Inform approach to effectively managing special pathogen cases that can be customized to support operations at your facility.