Be sure to read my update from this weekend on the Marburg virus disease outbreak in Rwanda.
The Ministry of Health of Rwanda has updated its outbreak numbers today. The total number of confirmed cases is now 56, an increase of seven new cases over the weekend. Thirty-six patients are in isolation and receiving treatment. Fortunately, there are no new deaths, so the death count remains at 12. Thus far, only 8 patients have recovered from the disease. This outbreak is the third largest outbreak of Marburg virus disease ever reported anywhere in the world.
Today, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced (https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/10/07/fact-sheet-hhs-actions-to-support-response-marburg-outbreak-in-rwanda.html) that the CDC will begin “public health entry” screening of travelers to the U.S. who have been in Rwanda in the past 21 days. HHS states that “This screening aims to reduce the risk of importation of Marburg cases into the United States and the spread within U.S. communities,” however, it does not elaborate on what this screening would entail.
The track record for airport screenings to keep infected persons out of the U.S. has not been good. My co-author and I write about why this strategy failed early on in the COVID-19 pandemic in our book, “Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak” https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12896/preparing-next-global-outbreak. Nevertheless, overall, I am pleased with the U.S. response to this current outbreak, and I believe that the Ministry of Health for Rwanda has also responded very well to this outbreak.
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