WHO warns Kenya of Marburg virus after Rwanda outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) alert to the Ministry of Health after 11 deaths were reported in Rwanda.

Health Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Barasa on Friday confirmed the alert, however clarifying that no Marburg case had been reported in Kenya so far.

“The Ministry of Health has received an alert from WHO on Marburg Virus Disease (MVD). Currently, we have no Marburg cases reported in the country,” stated CS Barasa.

While appealing to the members of the public to remain vigilant, the ministry expressed commitment to deal with the deadly viral disease saying it had heightened surveillance across borders.

Marburg has its roots in West Africa and its patients are said to often be between 8 and 9 days after symptom onset up to the time of death.

The symptoms of the virus include high fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes, difficulty swallowing and bleeding from body openings. 

In fatal cases, many patients develop severe bleeding manifestations often with fresh blood seen in vomit and faeces, accompanied by bleeding from the nose, gums, and vagina.

In order to prevent the spread of the disease, CS Barasa advised citizens to avoid close contact with confirmed cases or symptomatic individuals, wash hands frequently or use hand sanitisers, and avoid sharing personal items.

The disease has been reported in Central and West Africa with Rwanda being the latest to record fatal cases.

As of Wednesday, 11 people had died in Rwanda with 29 people having been confirmed to have contracted the disease since the start of the outbreak on September 27, 2024.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that most of the cases were of healthcare workers and more than 290 contacts had been traced.