Another virus has raised new concerns in many parts of the world after Ghana, in West Africa, reported its first outbreak of Marburg. Two unrelated deaths were reported in the county, due to the virus, which is said to be highly infectious, after patients presented with symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting.
“The health authorities have responded quickly and have begun to prepare for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can be easily out of control. The WHO is on the ground supporting the health authorities. and now that the outbreak has been declared, we are gathering more resources for the response, ”Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said with a note of caution.
Marburg virus, which causes the rare disease, is a genetically unique zoonotic (or animal-transmitted) virus. It can cause severe bleeding fever that affects both humans and nonhuman primates, according to the leading U.S. medical agency CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
The disease is often fatal in humans, according to the WHO, and the mortality rate can reach 88 percent. “The average mortality rate of MVD cases is around 50%. Case mortality rates have ranged from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks, depending on the strain of the virus and case management,” says l world health agency in an information sheet.
The disease was first detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in laboratories in the German city of Marburg and Frankfurt, one of the most densely populated cities in the country, and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), according to the CDC.
Laboratory work was said to be associated with African green monkeys.
“Thirty-one people became ill, initially laboratory workers followed by various medical staff and relatives who had treated them. Seven deaths have been reported. The first infected people had been exposed to African green monkeys imported from Uganda or their tissues while doing research, ”says the US health agency.
African fruit bats are said to be the hosts of the reservoir. “Fruit bats infected with Marburg virus show no obvious signs of disease. Primates (including humans) can become infected with Marburg virus and can develop serious diseases with high mortality,” the CDC points out.
It can spread by direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs, or other body fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g., bedding, clothing) contaminated with these liquids, says the WHO.
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