Rwandan authorities have imposed restrictions on the size of funerals for victims of the Marburg virus as part of efforts to contain the spread of the highly infectious disease.
The outbreak, Rwanda's first, has claimed eight lives. The country's health ministry confirmed the presence of the virus, which has a fatality rate as high as 88%. Marburg, closely related to Ebola, is transmitted from fruit bats to humans and then spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids.
To help curb the outbreak, new guidelines limit funeral attendance for Marburg victims to 50 people. While normal activities can continue, the public has been advised to avoid close contact with individuals displaying symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle aches, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The virus can cause death through extreme blood loss.
In addition to funeral restrictions, the health ministry has implemented a ban on hospital visits for the next 14 days. Patients will be allowed only one caregiver at a time.
Most of the reported deaths have been healthcare workers, and the virus's spread has been particularly challenging due to its presence in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, a densely populated area. In response, authorities have intensified contact tracing and testing, monitoring approximately 300 people who have come into contact with infected individuals.
Rwanda has urged the public to maintain good hygiene, such as frequent hand-washing, to help limit the virus’s spread.
This is Rwanda's first confirmed Marburg outbreak. Neighboring countries like Tanzania and Uganda have also experienced outbreaks in recent years.
