The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on November 23 commended the United States government for lifting its level 3 travel notice on Marburg virus in Rwanda that was issued on October 7.
The level 3 notice recommend that people reconsider nonessential travel due to Rwanda due its Marburg outbreak. On November 22 the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) downgraded the advisory to level 2, which recommends taking enhanced precautions.
Africa CDC said in its statement that the October advisory equated to a travel ban and was a significant economic blow to Rwanda as it grappled with a complex and high-risk outbreak.
Rwanda announced the outbreak on September 27 and has been transparent about its investigation and progress against the outbreak, Africa CDC said. On November 18 Africa CDC's director-general sent a letter to the CDC highlighting Rwanda's exemplary outbreak management and calling on the United States to reassess and lift the level 3 travel advisory.
Rwanda passes 3 weeks with no new cases
Meanwhile, Rwanda's health ministry on November 22 on X posted an outbreak update, noting that the country has gone 21 days with no new cases and 15 days since the last patient was discharged from medical care. It added that routine surveillance and follow-up of recovered patients continues.
Marburg outbreaks are typically declared over when 42 days have passed—two incubation periods—since the last patient was discharged from treatment. The country's outbreak total stands at 66 cases, 15 of them fatal.