On November 8th at 10:00 AM EST the Pandemic Center will host a webinar titled From Outbreak to Containment: Marburg Virus.

On September 27, 2024, Rwanda’s Ministry of Health confirmed the country’s first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, linked to a 27-year-old man exposed to bats in a mining cave. Marburg virus is a rare but highly fatal illness from the Filoviridae family, the same family as Ebola. Historically, it has had fatality rates as high as 88%, often due to hemorrhaging, extreme blood loss, and multi-organ failure. Per Rwanda’s Ministry of Health, as of October 31, Rwanda’s outbreak has reached a total of 66 cases and 15 fatalities, with two patients currently in treatment.

This outbreak has been met with an international response, with Africa CDC, WHO, and national governments coordinating with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health on containment and management actions, including the delivery of 2,700 vaccine trial doses provided by Sabin Vaccine Institute and the world’s first Marburg treatment clinical trial. The US CDC has rerouted flights from Rwanda to three major airports to screen for symptoms and has changed the travel health notice for Rwanda from level 2 to level 3, encouraging individuals to reconsider nonessential travel to Rwanda.Africa CDC advises against such restrictions as they have historically exacerbated existing inequalities, hindered response efforts, and increased public anxiety.

The WHO has praised Rwanda’s strong response to the outbreak through early management with antivirals, monoclonal antibodies, and supportive care. Rwanda faces a low 24% Marburg fatality rate, which usually has a fatality rate of 88%. The lowered fatality rate can be attributed to Rwanda’s swift acting high level leadership and critical care infrastructure. These updates show a positive trend in Rwanda moving closer to stopping the outbreak.

To discuss the current Marburg virus situation, this event will convene a panel of experts. It will be hosted by Dr. Wilmot James, Senior Adviser to the Brown Pandemic Center and Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. The panel will include:

• Dr. Jeanine U. Condo, Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Rwanda & Tulane University, and Chief Executive Officer at CIIC-HIN
• Dr. Issa Makumbi, Deputy Director, Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Director of Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC)
• Dr. Craig Spencer, Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health.

This webinar is part of the Pandemics & Society series, which focuses on current pandemic threats and response systems as well as how to build preparedness for the future.

Please contact pandemic_center@brown.edu with any questions.