Russia Offers Assistance as Burundi Battles Unknown Disease Outbreak with 35 Cases, 5 Deaths

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) is ready to assist Burundi in containing an outbreak of an unknown disease, the agency's press service reported on Max. "Rospotrebnadzor is ready to assist Burundi in containing an outbreak of a disease of unknown origin; a corresponding proposal has been sent," the statement said. The agency explained that an outbreak of a disease of unknown origin is being investigated in the Mpanda district in northern Burundi. According to materials from an online meeting of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), 35 cases of the disease have been identified since March 30, 2026, five of which were fatal. Preliminary data indicate that virtually all of those who fell ill are members of the same household or had close contact with one another. The Russian sanitary watchdog emphasized that laboratory testing has already ruled out approximately 200 known pathogens, including the agents that cause dangerous diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and yellow fever. The agency noted that there is currently insufficient information about the cause of the outbreak in Burundi. There is also not enough data to accurately assess the disease's transmissibility, fatality rate, and risk of rapid spread and new outbreaks. Rospotrebnadzor added that a joint Russian-Burundian center for studying and preventing infections is operating successfully in Bujumbura. The center was established by the Russian sanitary watchdog in 2023 at the National Institute of Public Health of Burundi. It is equipped with the necessary laboratory equipment to detect diseases, including those of unknown origin. According to Burundian specialists, no new cases of the disease have been reported since April 11, 2026. To minimize the risk of introducing infectious diseases, sanitary and quarantine controls have been strengthened at all Russian border crossings. The Perimeter automated information system analyzes epidemic risks and identifies individuals arriving from countries with an unfavorable epidemiological situation who exhibit signs of infectious diseases.