Rwanda is starting vaccine trials to fight the deadly Marburg virus, which has already killed at least 12 people, most of them health workers, according to BBC.
The country’s Health Minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, said that doctors and people who have been in contact with Marburg patients will be the first to receive the vaccine.
Rwanda has received 700 vaccine doses from the Sabin Vaccine Institute, a US-based non-profit organization.
This virus is similar to Ebola and causes symptoms like fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and in severe cases, death from extreme blood loss, as reported by BBC.
So far, the health ministry has recorded 46 cases in Rwanda, and this is the first time the virus has been found in the country. The source of the outbreak is still unknown.
Nsanzimana assured the public that there’s no need to worry about the vaccine’s safety, as trials have already been done in Kenya and Uganda, BBC explained.
The vaccine is only being tested on adults aged 18 and older, and there are no plans to test it on children at this time. The government plans to order more doses as needed.
The Marburg virus is extremely dangerous, killing about half of the people who get infected. Previous outbreaks have shown death rates between 24% and 88%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), BBC noted.
Rwanda is taking steps to limit the virus’ spread by restricting the size of funerals for victims and introducing travel restrictions. They will also be checking temperatures, asking passengers health questions, and providing hand-sanitizing stations at travel points.
The Marburg virus comes from fruit bats and spreads to humans through contact with body fluids of infected people.
BBC mentioned that Tanzania, Rwanda’s neighbor, had a Marburg outbreak in 2023, and Uganda saw three deaths from the virus in 2017.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgmvjxek7wo