Rwanda is studying the survivors of its recent Marburg outbreak to better understand how they survived. Rwanda swiftly brought its recent outbreak of Marburg to a close at the end of December. The government’s response — which took less than three months — was seen as a blueprint on how to efficiently control an outbreak.
Whenever a Marburg outbreak emerges, it’s alarming because it’s one of the deadliest pathogens to infect humans. There is an ongoing outbreak in Tanzania.
The disease, which is similar to Ebola, infects people who have prolonged exposure to bat colonies. It can then spread between humans through bodily fluids, and can lead to hemorrhaging and death.