KU Leuven has had two students repatriated from Rwanda due to the new outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, which has already caused 11 deaths in the country, mainly in Kigali. The Belgian government asks anyone returning from Rwanda to monitor for symptoms and consult a doctor if necessary.
The University specifies that the students, who were doing an internship at the Kigali hospital, are in good health, indicate our colleagues from Nieuwsblad. Steven Callens, infectious diseases specialist at UZ Gent, supports this decision and points out that the Marburg virus is extremely deadly, but can only be transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, vomit and diarrhea.
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Although there are no drugs or vaccines, Callens points out that mortality can be reduced to 20% if intensive care is provided quickly. But in regions where hospital hygiene is deficient, the situation becomes more critical, especially when the first precautions, such as the use of protective clothing and masks, are not taken.
The virus, similar to Ebola, manifests with fever, muscle pain, and can progress quickly to severe bleeding and organ failure, often leading to “death within a week without treatment.” Symptoms may appear between 2 and 21 days after infection.
Although the risk of an outbreak in Europe is low, the WHO is concerned due to the lack of treatments and the lethality of the virus, with mortality rates reaching 88% during an outbreak in Angola in 2005 Beds have been prepared at UZA to accommodate possible cases in Belgium, and the authorities insist on the importance of increased vigilance to avoid the spread.
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