‘I thought I’d be next’: Working in the ‘red zone’ of the world’s deadliest disease

Dr Menelas Nkeshimana has spent six weeks on frontlines of Rwanda ’s first Marburg outbreak.

The 42-year-old doctor had been treating patients critically ill with one of the world's most dangerous pathogens an Ebola-like hemorrhagic fever called Marburg .

Almost 80 per cent of Rwanda 's 66 Marburg patients have been doctors and nurses.

If there are no new cases by December 20 , the epidemic will be declared over.

Dr Nkeshimana says the first week of Marburg outbreak was 'very, very, very deadly' Rwanda received experimental antivirals and vaccines at record-breaking speed.

Rwanda ’s stress-tested preparedness plans, contact tracing networks, and health resources meant the case fatality rate was far lower than feared.

Dr Nkeshimana is counting down the days until he leaves the isolated hotel he’s called home for six weeks .

If all goes to plan, he'll be reunited with his family by Friday , eight days after he last went inside the treatment centre.

He says he's looking forward to seeing his nephews, aged eight, nine and 16 , who he usually takes to practise archery.