One-year-old dies of Marburg in Uganda

A toddler has died in an outbreak of Marburg disease, a close cousin of the Ebola virus, in Uganda. The victim was a one-year-old child who died just over a week ago in the district of Kyegegwa, in Uganda’s western region, the country’s Health Minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, told The Telegraph. Dr Baryomunsi said the child was the only confirmed case and claimed there was “no active transmission” of the viral haemorrhagic fever. However, a well-placed source, speaking to The Telegraph on condition of anonymity, said there have now been at least three cases after the toddler passed the virus to two family members. The source said the outbreak was probably the result of a new “spillover” event caused by contact with the droppings or saliva of an infected bat, Marburg’s natural reservoir. The outbreak first came to light on Monday when the US Embassy in Kampala issued an advisory, saying it was “aware of a potential case of Marburg virus disease in western Uganda”. The Ugandan authorities then confirmed the case the following evening. Uganda has extensive experience dealing with epidemics of diseases like Marburg – it last reported an outbreak in 2017 – but has sought to downplay haemorrhagic fever outbreaks in the past in order to protect tourism. The country is already battling an Ebola outbreak that has spread through neighbouring Congo and across its borders.