After mpox outbreak, Africa is under the threat of yet another virus outbreak, this is the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda. So far, six people have died from the outbreak, confirmed the health minister. Most victims were the healthcare workers in the hospital's intensive care unit. As per reports, 20 cases have been identified since the outbreak was confirmed on Friday.

What Is Marbug Virus?

With the fatality rate of 8% it is the same virus family as Ebola. The main carrier is from fruit bats which spreads to humans then through the contact of bodily fluids of infected individuals, it spreads to others.

Common Signs And Symptoms

The common signs and symptoms of the Marburg virus include fever, pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and in the case of extreme blood loss, death too can happen.

So far, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus. However, treatments like drugs and immune therapy are being developed as per the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Call Of Action

Rwanda says that it has intensified its contact tracing, surveillance and testing to contain the spread. It has also tracked about 300 people who had come into contact with individuals affected by the Marburg virus.

The health minister has urged people to stay vigilant and avoid any physical contact and to wash their hands with clean water, soap or sanitiser and report any suspected case.

As of now, most of the cases have spread to the capital in Kigali. In light of this, the US Embassy in the city has advised its employees to work remotely for the next week.

This is the first time Rwanda has confirmed for Marburg cases, before this, in 2023, Tanzania confirmed the outbreak, whereas three people had died of this in Uganda in 2017.

History Of Marburg

As per WHO, this virus kills half of the people it infects. In the previous outbreaks, it has killed between 24% to 88% of the patients.

The virus was first detected in 1976 after 31 people were infected, out of which 7 died in simultaneous outbreak in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and Belgrade in Serbia.

The source was traced to African green monkeys who were imported from Uganda. However, other animals too are linked to the virus spread, including bats.

In the past, the virus outbreaks have happened in countries like Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. In 2005, this virus killed 300 people in Angola.

However, for the rest of the world, only two people have died from the virus in the rest of the world, with one of them being in Europe, and the other in the US. These both have been on expeditions to caves in Uganda.

Bruce Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, has opened up about “wrestling” with guilt over celebrating her 50th birthday while her husband continues to battle dementia.

The former model turned 50 in June and, in an Instagram post, wrote, “I’m ready for this new decade and all it has to offer.”

However, she admitted she was initially wary of celebrating because of her husband’s dementia struggles. At the behest of friends and family, she decided to mark the milestone. Still, she said she continued to wrestle with guilt about celebrating while Bruce Willis is living with a terminal condition.

‘I’m Always Carrying’ Guilt

Speaking on a podcast, Emma said she had not been “in the celebratory feelings” recently and was unsure whether she wanted to do anything for her 50th birthday.

A friend encouraged her to celebrate, reminding her that she did not want to miss marking the milestone.

“I always wrestle with it, you know?” she said. “I think guilt is something that I am always carrying, but I’ve learned that it is really not helpful. What I know is I always go back to what would my husband want for me?”

She explained that even ordinary moments of celebration can bring guilt, as she often feels there are other things she should be doing for her husband.

“There are moments [when] you want to do something, [but] you say, ‘Oh, but I can’t, I can’t. There’s a million other things that I need to be doing for him.’”

However, Emma said she believes the Die Hard star would want her to enjoy the milestone with the people she loves. She said he “would want me to have a big fun bash” and “would want me to celebrate my life with my friends and family.”

In March 2023, Bruce Willis, who dominated Hollywood during his career, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative condition that can affect communication, behavior and motor skills.

Emma On The Emotional Toll Of Caregiving

This is not the first time Emma has spoken about the guilt and emotional challenges of caring for her husband.

Emma, who has been his primary caregiver, previously said that Bruce is supported, loved and cared for by the family.

“You know, we’re doing well. My husband is supported and loved and we’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,” she said during an interview on Today in May.

Last year, at the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Forum in Las Vegas, Emma also spoke about the emotional impact of Bruce’s diagnosis and the unseen toll of caregiving. She recalled the day Bruce was formally diagnosed as one that left her feeling “lost, isolated and afraid.”

Caregiving is a respectable position, but it's also a challenging and thankless one. For those who are caring for loved ones with dementia or other chronic illnesses, the stress of "keeping it all together" can result in a condition called caregiver burnout.

"Caring for someone is the most intimate and demanding work of love," Emma explained, "but when you're not noticed or supported, it begins to undermine your health—mentally and physically."

Canada has never reported a case of Ebola, yet Nova Scotia has become one of the first places in the world where humans are receiving an experimental vaccine against the deadly virus.

The first participant received Moderna’s experimental mRNA-1469 vaccine in Truro, Nova Scotia, on August 3. The Phase 1 trial is being conducted at three Canadian sites in Truro, Halifax and Toronto and aims to enrol around 80 healthy adults.

Why Is Canada Testing An Ebola Vaccine?

Also read: Ebola Outbreak in Congo Surpasses 4,000 Cases; Officials To Probe Whether Bundibugyo Virus Is Mutating

The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is being caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a relatively rare Ebola species for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

More than 3,800 infections and over 1,700 deaths have been reported in the outbreak, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

Existing Ebola vaccines are largely designed to protect against the Zaire species, which caused previous major outbreaks. They cannot simply protect the masses against Bundibugyo.

This has created a dangerous situation: an outbreak is already underway, but scientists do not yet have a licensed vaccine specifically targeting the strain driving it.

Why Nova Scotia Is Chosen For Testing Ebola Vaccine?

Also read: Ebola Outbreak: Moderna Begins First Human Trial Of Bundibugyo Vaccine As Cases Rise to 3,748

Nova Scotia was not selected because Ebola is circulating there. In fact, Health Canada says there have been no cases of Ebola disease in Canada.

But, the province has something far more useful for an early vaccine trial: years of experience conducting vaccine research.

The Canadian Center for Vaccinology, a collaboration involving Dalhousie University, IWK Health and Nova Scotia Health, has extensive experience in vaccine development and clinical trials.

Moderna said Canada was selected because of its experience with early-stage clinical trials, Health Canada's regulations and the country's long history of contribution to research on filoviruses, the family of viruses that includes Ebola.

“Canadian researchers and participants are contributing an important first step in a broader international effort to develop a vaccine against a form of Ebola for which no approved protection is currently available,” Hamilton Bennett, Moderna's executive director of global health security and R&D partnerships, said.

About The Ebola Trial In Nova Scotia

Phase 1 trials primarily examine whether a vaccine is safe, what dose should be used and whether it produces an immune response.

Participants are given the vaccine, not the Ebola virus, and they cannot get Ebola from the vaccine trial itself.

The mRNA-1469 vaccine uses the same mRNA technology that Moderna used for its COVID-19 vaccine. It is designed to teach the immune system to recognise Bundibugyo virus and produce an immune response without exposing volunteers to the live virus.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed up to US$50 million to support Moderna's vaccine development. If the vaccine eventually proves successful, Moderna has committed to making at least 500,000 doses available to low- and middle-income countries.

Dalhousie researchers are studying the Bundibugyo virus itself. Recent work helped identify a genetically distinct variant circulating in the DRC and investigate possible treatment options.

Phase 1 of the trial can establish safety and immune responses, but larger Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies will be needed to determine whether the vaccine actually prevents Ebola disease.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has urged parents to vaccinate their children against measles, saying, “I trust the science,” as the United States faces its worst measles surge in decades.

Speaking to CBS News’ Face the Nation on August 9, Bhattacharya said vaccination remains the best way to protect children from the highly contagious disease.

“If you want to protect your kids from these sort of preventable diseases, yes, you should vaccinate your kids,” Bhattacharya said. He added that he has been “very, very clear” about recommending measles vaccination.

His comments come as the US has recorded 2,465 confirmed measles cases in 2026 as of August 6, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The figure has already surpassed the total reported in 2025 and represents the highest annual case count in the country in about 35 years.

Could US Could Lose Its Measles Elimination Status?

Also read: CDC Recommends All International Travelers To Get Measles Vaccine

Bhattacharya pointed to declining public trust in health institutions as one factor behind the resurgence.

“There’s been a lot of outbreaks, not just the United States, but around the world,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with sort of a collapse in public trust in a lot of science.”

The CDC says only 10 US states had measles vaccination coverage above the approximately 95% level needed to maintain community protection during the previous school year.

The growing outbreak has raised another concern, which is whether the US could lose its measles elimination status.

Experts have warned that continued transmission could jeopardize the status the country has maintained since 2000.

A recent analysis described losing elimination status in 2026 as highly likely unless vaccination coverage improves and ongoing transmission is interrupted.

For parents, the message from the NIH chief is straightforward: the measles vaccine remains the scientific evidence-backed way to protect children. “I trust the science,” Bhattacharya said.

Jay Bhattacharya Pushes Back Against Vaccine Fear

Also read: Dr. Erica Schwartz Confirmed As CDC’s First Permanent Director In Nearly A Year

Bhattacharya also addressed concerns about children returning to school while measles is circulating.

“It is even more important that these kids go to school,” he said, warning against creating fear around unvaccinated children.

“That’s a tremendous mistake,” Bhattacharya said, arguing that parents should vaccinate their children rather than fear school attendance.

His comments are notable amid renewed debate over childhood vaccines under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has a long history of vaccine skepticism but recently also urged parents to vaccinate children against measles.

How Effective Is The MMR Vaccine?

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains one of the strongest tools against measles. Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles, while one dose provides about 93% protection.

That protection becomes particularly important in schools and communities because measles spreads extremely easily. When vaccination rates fall below the level needed for herd immunity, the virus can move rapidly through pockets of susceptible people.