Rwanda is grappling with a severe outbreak of the highly contagious Marburg virus, with over 300 confirmed cases and eight fatalities reported across the country.

The outbreak, which has affected seven out of Rwanda’s 30 districts, was declared by the government, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Currently, there is no authorised vaccine or treatment for the virus.

Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana stated that Rwanda is intensifying contact tracing and testing efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

This marks the first time the Marburg virus has been detected in the country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is scaling up its support, with Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announcing on social media platform X that WHO is collaborating closely with Rwandan authorities.

The Marburg virus has previously been reported in several African countries, including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and South Africa.

WHO’s Rwanda Office is preparing emergency medical supplies and infection prevention and control materials, which will be delivered to Kigali from WHO’s Emergency Response Hub in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Marburg virus, first identified in 1967 following outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia, is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials.

Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, and in severe cases, death due to extreme blood loss.

The virus causes haemorrhagic fever and has a fatality rate of up to 88%, belonging to the same family as the Ebola virus.