Rwanda’s Marburg virus outbreak is now “controlled,” according to Africa’s top public health official, Jean Kaseya, who expressed optimism that the country will emerge from the outbreak soon.
The Ebola-like haemorrhagic fever has killed 13 people since the outbreak was first declared in the East African country on September 27.
Jean Kaseya, Head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the risk of Marburg spreading out of Rwanda is almost zero and praised the country for what he said was a strong response to the outbreak by a range of government officials, News.Az reports, citing Euronews.
“The mechanism they put in place even to follow the contacts, no contact can fly out of Rwanda,” he said.
While there is no authorised vaccine or treatment for Marburg, Rwanda received 700 doses of a vaccine under trial from the United States-based Sabin Vaccine Institute over the weekend for health workers and emergency responders as well as individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday updated its travel advisory for Rwanda, requiring screening of travelers who have recently been to Rwanda.
The updated guidelines urge people to reconsider non-essential travel to Rwanda.
Kaseya said that decision was not respectful as it was made without consulting with the Africa CDC or Rwanda.
Rwanda should not “be punished” with advisories prohibiting travel because it is “being transparent” in its reporting of the outbreak, he said.
According to the latest update from Rwanda’s health ministry, there are 58 confirmed cases of Marburg virus with 15 people recovering from it. Around 346 vaccine doses have been administered, it said.
The Marburg virus, like Ebola, is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets.
News.Az
Source link : https://news.az/news/africa-cdc-rwanda-s-marburg-outbreak-controlled
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Publish date : 2024-10-11 10:48:47
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