On Oct. 11, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a total of 58 cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD), including 13 deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR): 22%), had been reported in Rwanda to date. Contact tracing was underway, with over 700 contacts under follow-up.

WHO classified the outbreak as a grade 3 emergency, the highest internal level for emergencies based on the WHO Emergency Response Framework. A surge team from WHO was in Rwanda to support the in-country response across the functions of incident management: epidemiology, health operations, case management, health logistics, vaccines research, partner coordination and infection prevention and control.

MVD is a highly virulent disease that can cause haemorrhagic fever and is clinically similar to Ebola virus disease. People are infected with Marburg virus when they come into close contact with Rousettus bats, a type of fruit bat, that can carry the Marburg virus and are often found in mines or caves. Marburg virus then spreads between people via direct contact. The source of the outbreak was still under investigation