A significant change in new infections occurred in the third week of the Marburg virus outbreak, when a 50 per cent reduction was observed, which is the best indicator that an "outbreak is dying," Minister of Health Dr Sabin Nsanzimana has said.
He made these remarks during a media briefing on the Marburg virus outbreak, held with the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Kigali on Sunday, October 20.
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Since the Marburg virus was first confirmed in Rwanda on September 27, health authorities have reported 62 cases. No new cases were reported in the past six days, which shows "a very encouraging trend," according to the minister.
Dr Nsanzimana explained that the first two weeks of the outbreak showed little change in the number of infections, as the government worked to understand the full scope of the virus.
"The first two weeks were a bit stagnant, as we were still getting to the core of the virus. We saw 50 per cent decline in week three, which gave us hope that this outbreak could be contained quickly," he said.
"Now, this week, we are seeing even better results, with a 92 per cent reduction in infections, which is a very encouraging trend," he added.
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The number of fatalities has also remained at 15, while recoveries kept declining.
"In the last six days, we have had zero new infections and zero deaths," Dr Nsanzimana said, emphasised the importance of continued vigilance.
"Even if we had one case, it would be an opportunity to trace every single contact before we put a final end to this outbreak."
WHO's Dr Tedros said expressed optimism that the outbreak would be contained.
"We're pleased to see that there have been no new cases in the past six days. And we hope that remains the case," he said.
"Yesterday, we visited the treatment center, where there are still a few patients receiving treatment, although most are now negative and we expect them to be discharged shortly."
Most patients aged 30-35
The Minister said that most of the patients affected by the virus were young, typically between the ages of 30 and 35, many of whom were healthcare workers.
According to Dr Nsanzimana, daily reports of the outbreak have played a role in tracking the virus's decline.
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"This is the best way to observe the trend and monitor how quickly we can bring this outbreak to an end," he said.
He also reiterated that the outbreak had primarily been confined to one cluster, involving three main locations, namely King Faisal Hospital, the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), and the index case.
"This is what you've seen in our daily updates, a hospital cluster," he said, indicating the virus had not spread in the community.
As of October 19, the Ministry of Health had confirmed a total of 62 Marburg virus cases. Among these, 44 individuals had recovered, 15 have died, and 3 remained in treatment and isolation.
A cumulative total of 4,715 tests have been conducted, and 1,070 vaccine doses have been administered.
The case fatality rate stands at 24.2 per cent. All reported cases are linked to known transmission chains, with 100 per cent traceability, according to officials.
