Rwanda restricts gatherings amid Marburg virus outbreak

KIGALI, Rwanda

Days after Rwanda announced an outbreak of the Marburg virus, authorities have introduced a set of measures to control its spread in the country.

Christian Ngarambe, the acting director general of the University Teaching Hospital of Butare, told Anadolu on Tuesday that the new measures require healthcare facilities to implement strict protocols for receiving and managing patients exhibiting symptoms of the Marburg virus as well as compliance with measures to prevent and control infection.

Visits to hospitalized patients were banned for the next 14 days and a patient is allowed one caregiver at a time, according to the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.

In the event of death from Marburg, the ministry has also prohibited wakes and vigils to reduce the risk of the virus transmission.

Funeral services for those who succumbed to Marburg will be restricted to a maximum of 50 people, while open-casket viewings are banned in homes, churches, or mosques and will only be conducted in designated areas within health care facilities, with the limited number of people.

Twenty-six people, including nine dead, have been confirmed to have contracted the virus as of Monday.

The Health Ministry said up to 300 individuals identified as contacts of the confirmed cases are isolated for close monitoring.

Marburg, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%, is from the same virus family as Ebola, according to the World Health Organization.

Illness caused by the Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headaches and severe malaise.

Many patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.

The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

Symptoms include high fever, strong headache, vomiting and muscle aches.