Marburg case confirmed in Uganda during Ebola response
Africa CDC said a toddler died of Marburg virus disease in Uganda, where officials are also tracking Ebola cases tied to a larger regional outbreak.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed a Marburg virus disease case in Uganda in a 1-and-a-half-year-old child who died. The case adds another high-risk hemorrhagic fever concern for Ugandan health authorities already monitoring Ebola during a larger regional outbreak.
Africa CDC told Reuters on Wednesday that, according to Ugandan health authorities, no contacts of the child had developed symptoms and the country had no other active Marburg cases at that time. Reuters reported that a spokesperson for Uganda’s health ministry said he was not aware of a Marburg outbreak when asked about the matter.
The World Health Organization said Uganda notified it of one Marburg case on June 30. The U.S. Embassy in Uganda issued a June 29 health alert saying it was aware of a “potential case.”
Marburg virus is related to ebolaviruses and can cause a similar hemorrhagic illness, according to the report. Its routes of spread and prevention measures are also similar to those used for Ebola.
Questions over public disclosure
Public information from Ugandan officials has been limited. Stat News, citing an anonymous “well-placed source,” reported that Uganda had detected two Marburg cases by Monday, while also reporting that possible spread appeared localized.
Stat News said concerns about travel restrictions, including from the United States, and possible effects on Uganda’s tourism industry may be contributing to reluctance to release more information. Africa CDC spokesperson Saran Koly told Reuters on Wednesday that the agency was working with Uganda through official public health channels on reports about Marburg virus disease.
“At this stage, we cannot confirm reports of any additional case,” Koly told Reuters.
The U.S. Embassy alert did not confirm an outbreak, saying only that it was aware of a potential case. WHO’s statement, as reported, referred to a single case reported by Uganda at the end of June.
Ebola outbreak strains the region
The Marburg report comes as Uganda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo respond to Ebola. As of July 2, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had reported 1,406 Ebola cases and 438 deaths, according to DRC figures cited in the report.
Uganda had reported 20 Ebola cases and two deaths, according to Ugandan Ebola data cited in the report. The outbreak is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak recorded, according to the same reporting.
Marburg and Ebola both require fast case detection, contact monitoring and infection-control measures because of the severity of the diseases and their potential to spread through close contact. Africa CDC’s statement that no contacts of the deceased child had symptoms was therefore a key indicator in the limited public information available so far.
For now, the confirmed public picture remains narrow: Africa CDC and WHO have described one Marburg case reported by Uganda, while Africa CDC has said it cannot verify reports of any additional case. Ugandan health authorities have not publicly provided a fuller account of the child’s exposure, location or the circumstances in which the infection was detected.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.