Rwanda dey face serious health crisis as Marburg virus disease outbreak don hit the country. Since the outbreak start in late September, 36 people don test positive, and 11 people don die from the disease. This be the first time Marburg virus dey reported in Rwanda, and it dey cause big worry because of its high mortality rate.
The virus dey affect healthcare workers badly. Out of the 36 confirmed cases, at least 19 be healthcare workers, and four of them don die, including two anesthesiologists. Rwanda health minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, say the country dey explore experimental vaccines and treatments to manage the outbreak because no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine dey available for Marburg virus.
The Marburg virus dey similar to Ebola virus in terms of symptoms and transmission. It can spread through contact with bodily fluids like blood or sweat. The symptoms include severe viral hemorrhagic fever, severe headache, general malaise, muscle aches, nausea, bleeding, and diarrhea. In severe cases, death can occur within eight or nine days after symptoms start.
Neighboring countries like Kenya dey intensify their surveillance and readiness efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. Kenya don prepare special laboratories and increase public health surveillance and community engagement in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).
In Rwanda, the health ministry don release guidelines to contain the spread of the virus. Patients with Marburg virus no go receive visitors for 14 days, and they will only have one caregiver at a time.
