The head of Africa’s top public health agency says that an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg fever in Rwanda is under control and that travel bans to the East African country are unnecessary.

US official advice against non-essential travel to Rwanda in light of the outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus is “not fair”, Africa’s top health official Jean Kaseya has said. The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) added that it was “not the treatment Rwanda and Africa deserve”.

The African CDC and Rwandan government objected to the Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S., saying Rwanda was being punished for its transparency.

Director General of Africa-CDC Dr. Jean Kaseya has said that Rwanda has almost zero risk of exporting the Marburg outbreak, thanks to a number of serious measures put in place.

Rwanda’s health minister says authorities are tracing every potential contact of the index case in the country’s outbreak of Marburg virus disease to reduce the risk of wider spread

The Marburg outbreak announced in Rwanda two weeks ago has put the East African Community (EAC) on high alert, signalling a new round of preventive measures in the region. On October 8, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 56 cases and 12 deaths had been reported from September 27, 2024.