Rwanda is dealing with its first outbreak of deadly Marburg virus disease
CTV
For the first time in Rwanda’s history, its health ministry is dealing with an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – but unlike Ebola, there is no treatment or vaccines for Marburg, and it has a fatality rate of 88 per cent.
For the first time in Rwanda’s history, its health ministry is dealing with an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – but unlike Ebola, there is no treatment or vaccines for Marburg, and it has a fatality rate of 88 per cent.
So far, 26 people have gotten sick, 18 are in treatment and eight people have died in the outbreak, according to the health ministry.
In addition to sending medical supplies, the World Health Organization said over the weekend that it is deploying a team of seven global experts in hemorrhagic disease to Rwanda who can provide guidance for public health experts on the ground. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that it is also sending experts to Rwanda to help support testing and contact-tracing efforts.
There are no cases of Marburg in the United States, and the risk to Americans with this outbreak is low.
The CDC said it has had a presence in Rwanda since 2002 and has worked closely to help the country strengthen its health system.
Unlike in some other sub-Saharan African countries that have dealt with Marburg virus disease, Rwanda has a strong public health system, according to WHO.
“With the country’s already robust public health emergency response system, WHO is collaborating closely with the national authorities to provide the needed support to further enhance the ongoing efforts,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, the first such case in the United States.
With the high cost of living increasingly a concern, some seniors are making sacrifices to help their adult children and grandchildren make ends meet. Here are some of their stories.
Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. confirmed Wednesday that they are discussing closer collaboration but denied reports they have decided on a merger.
Canada unveiled finalized Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) on Tuesday that aim to create a net-zero electricity grid by 2050, abandoning its previous target of having an emissions-neutral grid by 2035.
NASA's two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
Drinking a small amount of wine each day may protect the heart, according to a new study of Spanish people following the plant-based Mediterranean diet, which typically includes drinking a small glass of wine with dinner.
Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don't buckle up.
France used ships and military aircraft to rush rescue workers and supplies to its Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte on Monday after the island group was battered by its worst cyclone in nearly a century. Authorities fear hundreds and possibly thousands of people have died.
Thousands of ancient butchered human bones found in a deep shaft in southwest England have pointed archaeologists to a grim chapter of British prehistory.
At the Sheephaven Bay pub in London, tucked just behind Camden High Street, Guinness accounts for more than 50 per cent of draft beer sales.
France was rushing help by ship and military aircraft to its poor overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean on Monday after the island was shattered by its worst storm in nearly a century.