### Marburg Fever Claims 11 Lives in Rwanda as Authorities Scramble to Contain Outbreak

Health officials in Rwanda have reported that Marburg hemorrhagic fever has claimed 11 lives, with efforts intensifying to identify the outbreak's origin. The Rwandan government’s latest update confirmed 36 cases, 25 of which are in isolation.

The outbreak was declared on September 27, and six deaths were reported just a day later. Initial cases were detected among patients in health facilities, sparking ongoing investigations to uncover the infection's source. The unidentified origin continues to stoke fears of wider contagion within the nation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert concerning potential international spread, especially due to Kigali’s international airport and road connections to other East African cities. Global alarm has been highlighted by the isolation of two people in Hamburg, Germany, after they returned from Rwanda having been in a medical facility treating Marburg patients.

In Rwanda, the disease has primarily affected healthcare workers across six out of 30 districts, with some cases occurring in regions bordering Congo, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania. Rwandan health authorities have identified at least 300 individuals who had contact with confirmed Marburg patients, with many of them now in isolation.

Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana announced that clinical trials for vaccination are imminent, though specifics on the vaccine type were not provided. The minister revealed that Rwanda has so far tested 2,000 people for Marburg, with an additional 5,000 test kits expected soon. Measures to curb the virus’s spread include urging physical distancing, suspending school and hospital visits, and limiting funeral attendance for Marburg victims.

The U.S. Embassy in Kigali has advised its staff to work remotely and avoid office visits. Marburg, much like the Ebola virus, is believed to originate from fruit bats and spreads through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces. With a fatality rate of up to 88% in untreated cases, the virus's symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and severe blood loss.

The Marburg virus, first identified in 1967 following simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, has previously been reported in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana. It remains one of the most lethal viral hemorrhagic fevers known to humans.