Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana had initially linked the outbreak to a zoonotic origin on October 20, 2024, while noting that investigations were still ongoing.

In a recent update, Dr. Nsanzimana confirmed that the virus had jumped from animals to humans, with the 27-year-old index case traced back to a cave where mining activities had been ongoing.

“We managed to trace back and find that this outbreak came from a zoonotic origin, and we were also able to find the cave where these particular fruit bats were living, with human activity—particularly mining—taking place. That’s where we found our index case,” Dr. Nsanzimana stated without specifying the cave’s location.

Dr. Nsanzimana explained that extensive research, including genomic sequencing, epidemiological investigations, and environmental testing, pointed to a zoonotic origin.

“The focus now is to ensure that these fruit bats living in caves are not interacting with humans and to share sequencing information that can be useful for other parts of the world where these species are living,” he added.

The Health Minister also revealed that all mining activity at the cave has been halted, and assessments are being conducted on the people who worked there to ensure they don’t become ill.

“We’ve brought together different teams from veterinary science, epidemiology, genomic surveillance, and lab diagnostics to test these animals and also the people,” he said. “It’s very important for the scientific community to study the animal perspective, humans, and the environment.”

The Marburg virus is a highly contagious disease that causes severe hemorrhagic fever. While outbreaks are rare, they often result in high mortality rates and pose serious public health challenges.

During the earlier press conference on October 20, 2024, attended by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Dr. Nsanzimana said the outbreak in Rwanda was first identified after the index case was hospitalized at King Faisal Hospital, where he was treated in the intensive care unit. Healthcare workers attending to him soon exhibited symptoms, prompting an investigation into the source of the virus.

"Identifying the index case has been the result of several efforts. We are very happy to have reached this point because, in many outbreaks, it is extremely difficult to do so,” the minister revealed.

Since the first-ever outbreak was declared in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, a total of 65 cases, 15 deaths, and 47 recoveries have been recorded.

Rwanda's Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana confirmed that the virus had jumped from animals to humans, with the 27-year-old index case traced back to a cave where mining activities had been ongoing.