Rwandan health authorities deployed a trial vaccine against Marburg hemorrhagic fever this Sunday, as the country faces an epidemic that has already caused 12 deaths.
Rwanda received 700 doses of a vaccine under evaluation, supplied by the Sabin Vaccine Institute. Sabin Nsanzimana, Minister of Health, clarified: “Vaccination starts by targeting the people most at risk and most exposed. These include health personnel working in treatment centers, hospitals, intensive care units and emergency rooms, but also relatives of confirmed cases. »
As with the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus is believed to originate from fruit bats and is transmitted between individuals through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or through contaminated surfaces, such as sheets. Without specific treatment, the virus can be fatal.
The concern is palpable among the population. Emmanuel Niyonkuru, motorcycle taxi driver, testifies: “I was worried as soon as I heard about it. It has been announced that 90% of Marburg disease patients die, meaning that 9 out of 10 confirmed cases will die. It’s really scary. In our work, we cannot establish distance between ourselves and our customers. We have managed to avoid COVID-19 by taking certain measures, such as removing goggles from helmets to allow our customers to breathe. I’m really afraid that we will be the first to be prevented from working. »
Although Rwanda has ruled out implementing a lockdown to combat the spread of the virus, authorities have called on the population to avoid any bodily contact. According to the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of people who have contracted the disease are healthcare workers.
