According to the news on BBC, 6 people, mostly healthcare workers, died in Rwanda due to the Marburg epidemic. Rwanda Minister of Health Sabin Nsanzimana said that the majority of those who lost their lives in the epidemic were healthcare workers working in the intensive care unit of a hospital.
Noting that they have identified 20 cases since the disease was confirmed on Friday, Nsanzimana stated that they are following approximately 300 people who have been in contact with those affected by the Marburg virus.
The minister called for avoiding physical contact to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
Rwandan authorities stated that they intensified contact tracing, surveillance and testing efforts to control the spread.
DEATH RATE IN MARBURG VIRUS RISES UP TO 88 PERCENT
The mortality rate in people infected with the Marburg virus, which comes from the same family as the Ebola virus, can reach up to 88 percent.
The virus, transmitted from bats to humans, spreads through contact with infected people.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, excessive blood loss.
The World Health Organization announced that there is no specific treatment or vaccine against the virus, but a number of blood products, drugs and immune treatments have been developed. (AA)