We managed to trace back the outbreak of the epidemic and establish that it was a zoonosis (spread from animal to human) – said Minister of Health Sabin Nsazimina at a press conference in Kigali.
According to him, the infections were traced back to a cave where flying dogs live and near which there is a mine. According to Nsazimina, this is where workers may have come into contact with infected animals, from which the virus spread to humans.
An outbreak of hemorrhagic fever was reported in Rwanda on September 27.
By October 26, a total of 65 infected people had been registered, of whom 15 had died. The virus, which is similar to Ebola, named after the German city of Marburg, was discovered in 1967 after it was brought into Marburg with experimental monkeys intended for research purposes. The infection is spread through close contact, and in the absence of treatment and medical care, it can be fatal in up to 88 percent of cases.
The cover image is an illustration. Cover image source: Getty Images
Source: www.portfolio.hu
