Rwanda is set to begin a vaccine study against the deadly Marburg hemorrhagic fever as the country seeks to control the spread of the ongoing outbreak. As of now, the virus has claimed 12 lives. The vaccine study, which was announced by health officials on Sunday, will involve the use of 700 investigational doses provided by the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute. These doses will be administered to healthcare workers, emergency responders, and people who have come into contact with confirmed cases of the virus.
Rwanda's Health Minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, confirmed that the Rwanda Biomedical Centre had thoroughly reviewed the vaccine shipment before initiating the trial. While there is no currently authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg, this clinical trial aims to provide vital data to help control the virus. Marburg, which is similar to Ebola, is believed to originate from fruit bats and spreads through close contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces, such as bed sheets. The virus can be fatal in up to 88 per cent of cases without appropriate treatment.
In a statement, the Sabin Vaccine Institute noted that they have entered into a clinical trial agreement with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre to provide doses for the study. Rwanda is currently battling 46 confirmed cases of the virus, with 29 people in isolation. At least 400 people who have come into contact with the infected are being monitored.
The outbreak was officially declared in Rwanda on September 27, with the initial cases discovered among patients in healthcare facilities. However, the source of the outbreak remains unidentified. Symptoms of the virus include fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe blood loss, often leading to death.
Most of the infected people are healthcare workers across six districts in the country, many of which border neighbouring nations like Congo, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania. As part of the government's response, strict measures have been implemented, including limiting physical contact, suspending school and hospital visits, and placing restrictions on the number of attendees at funerals for Marburg victims.
The Marburg virus has previously caused outbreaks in countries such as Tanzania, Angola, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. It was first identified in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, where seven individuals died while working with infected monkeys.