KIGALI, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The United States government

completed an initial shipment of vaccine doses and therapeutic

drugs for Marburg disease to Rwanda on Oct. 4, Thierry Roels,

U.S. CDC Country Director in Rwanda told Reuters on Saturday.

The U.S. government is also working closely with

international partners and Rwanda's ministry of health on the

start of clinical trials to evaluate investigational

countermeasures, he said.

Roels added that the U.S. government was considering

additional shipments that can supply the clinical trials, but

did not say how many doses had been delivered on Friday.

Rwanda's first outbreak of the viral hemorrhagic fever was

detected in late September, with 36 cases and 11 deaths reported

so far. Marburg has a fatality rate as high as 88%.

Rwandan Health Minister Sabin Nsanziman said on Thursday

that the country will start clinical trials of experimental

vaccines and treatments for the disease.

Four vaccine candidates have been evaluated for potential

use in trials by WHO, but only one, made by the Sabin Vaccine

Institute non-profit, has data from early-stage human trials

showing it is safe and led to an immune response. Further

testing of the vaccines outside of outbreak settings is not

possible because of the risks involved.

The Sabin Vaccine Institute said on Saturday it had

delivered around 700 doses of its vaccine to Rwanda, to be used

in a trial targeting frontline workers, including healthcare

professionals.

The non-profit institute also said it plans to supply

additional vaccines pending a request from the Rwanda government

and authorization from U.S. Center for the Biomedical Advanced

Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

Gilead Sciences ( GILD ) said on Thursday it would donate about

5,000 vials of its antiviral drug remdesivir to the Rwanda

Medical Supply for emergency use in response to the outbreak.

Marburg symptoms include high fever, severe headaches and

malaise within seven days of infection and later severe nausea,

vomiting, and diarrhea. It is transmitted to humans by fruit

bats, and then spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of

those infected.