“Normal business and other activities” can continue in the East African country, the advisory published on Sunday evening said.

However, it also urged the public to avoid close contact with “symptomatic individuals”. The ministry listed symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

The virus can cause death from extreme blood loss.

According to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, hospital patients are not allowed to receive visitors for the next fourteen days.

Patients should also have only one provider at a time, the guidelines say.

In many developing countries, patients’ loved ones perform basic care tasks – such as washing and feeding – that in other countries are typically performed by a nurse.

On Saturday, as the official death toll reached six, Rwanda’s health minister said most of the victims were health workers in hospital intensive care.

Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, told the BBC’s Newsday program that combating the spread of the virus could be a challenge as most reported cases had occurred in the densely populated capital Kigali, while previous outbreaks often occurred in remote rural areas where they were easier to control.

However, she added that there was hope because Rwanda had “much better infrastructure and history of public health coordination than many other countries”.

Rwanda said it has stepped up contact tracing, surveillance and testing to help limit the spread.

The country’s health minister said on Sunday that officials were monitoring about 300 people who had come into contact with individuals affected by the Marburg virus.

Authorities have urged the public to practice good hygiene, such as frequent hand washing.

This is the first time Marburg has been confirmed in Rwanda.

Neighboring Tanzania reported an outbreak in 2023, while Uganda killed three people in 2017.