According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak is under control, but surveillance measures continue.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Saturday that over a month after the declaration of the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda, health officials have discharged the last patient.
According to the WHO statement, the last patient was discharged on Friday, but contacts of both the discharged patient and others previously released will continue to be monitored for 21 days until the end of the observation period.
The outbreak will be declared over if no new infections occur 42 days after the last confirmed case tests negative.
The outbreak, announced on September 27, resulted in a total of 66 cases and 15 deaths.
Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana stated that the outbreak is under control, and although no new cases have been reported for more than a week, monitoring measures remain in place.
“This outbreak shows that with the best available treatment, recovery is possible, and science can contribute,” he said. “The evidence gathered from this outbreak will help shape future surveillance activities and prevent future outbreaks.”
WHO representative in the East African country, Brian Chirombo, stated that the control of the disease depended on coordinated efforts, including the rapid deployment of intervention teams, close monitoring of contacts, and the implementation of infection prevention and control measures.
“Rwanda is successfully emerging from an extremely difficult outbreak, effectively reducing its potentially devastating impact. WHO is committed to supporting these ongoing collaborative efforts until the outbreak is officially declared over,” he added.
Marburg virus disease, which causes hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 88%, belongs to the same family of viruses that causes Ebola.
The virus is transmitted from fruit bats to humans and spreads among humans through direct contact with body fluids, surfaces, and materials infected with the virus.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, vomiting, and muscle pain.
