Suspected Marburg virus cases in Germany ruled out after negative tests

The two individuals reportedly flew from Rwanda to Frankfurt am Main overnight on Tuesday before continuing by train to the northern city of Hamburg. One of them contacted doctors during the journey, fearing he might have contracted a tropical disease in Rwanda.

According to consistent media reports, the individual is a medical student in his mid-20s.

It was reported that the individuals could have contracted the Marburg virus during the trip, but the Hamburg Social Authority, which also oversees health matters, said their tests came back negative.

“The negative test results and the absence of symptoms during the journey rule out any danger to third parties. The negative test confirms that no viruses were present. As a result, there was never any risk of infection with the Marburg virus for either the flight or train passengers,” a spokesperson for the Social Authority told Euractiv via email.

The Marburg virus causes severe haemorrhagic fever, with symptoms including muscle pain, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, and bloody vomiting. According to the WHO, previous outbreaks of the virus had fatality rates ranging from 24% to 88%.

A sigh of relief

The outbreak of the dangerous viral disease was announced in Rwanda at the end of September. It remains unclear where and when the outbreak began, but as of 1 October, some 36 cases were reported, with 11 deaths and 25 being treated in isolation, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Rwanda, one of Africa’s smallest and most densely populated countries, borders Tanzania, which reported cases of the virus in 2023, and Uganda, which saw similar cases in 2017.

The news caused concern due to the speed at which patients were diagnosed, as it can take up to 21 days before people exhibit symptoms. This means experts are concerned there could be more cases forthcoming, increasing fears of a potential pandemic risk.

The Marburg virus

The virus belongs to the same family as Ebola and is first transmitted from bats or monkeys to humans, but can then be passed from human to human.

Unlike flu or coronaviruses, it is not airborne, and infection occurs through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, such as blood or bodily fluids, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding or clothing.

The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, and there is currently no targeted treatment or vaccine.

The first known outbreak occurred in 1967 in Marburg, Germany, when 29 laboratory workers were infected by monkeys used in experiments, seven of whom died. The virus was subsequently named after the city.

[Edited by Alice Taylor-Braçe]