West Africa reports first case of Marburg Virus – All you need to know

West Africa on August 9, 2021, confirmed the first case of the extremely contagious and deadly hemorrhagic Marburg virus in the Guinea region, reported the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa said, “We are working with the health authorities to implement a swift response.” Guinea has experience and expertise in handling the Ebola virus, which is also transmitted in the same way as the Marburg virus does.

The Marburg virus belongs to the family of the Ebola virus. Marburg virus was detected in a male patient in Guinea. The patient was getting treatment in the Gueckedou province in southeast Guinea. Later, he died.

As per WHO, the patient exhibited symptoms on July 25. On August 1, he went for treatment at a small health clinic near his village. The next day, he succumbed to the infection.

What is Marburg virus?

•As per WHO, the Marburg virus is a highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever, with a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent.

•WHO has listed the Marburg virus as a top 10 priority disease along with Ebola, Zika Lassa fever which has the potential to cause a pandemic.

•Marburg belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. In 1967, two epidemics outbreaks occurred in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade in Serbia. The outbreak was caused during laboratory work being done on African green monkeys that were imported from Uganda. The outbreaks led to the identification of the Marburg virus.

•Later, sporadic outbreaks were reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa.

Marburg virus: Symptoms

•The incubation period of the virus ranges between 2 to 21 days. The symptoms stated by WHO are sudden very high fever, severe headache, malaise, muscle aches, pains, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting.

•Patients are reportedly found dead between 8 to 9 days after the onset of the symptoms in cases of severe hemorrhagic cases.

Marburg virus: How it can spread?

•Marburg virus can spread through prolonged exposure to caves or mines inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies.

•Once infected, the virus can spread from human-to-human contact through broken skin, blood, organs, bodily fluids, secretions, or surfaces such as bedding, clothing contaminated by the infected person.

Marburg Virus: Treatment

•There are currently no antivirals or vaccines to treat the Marburg virus. Supportive care such as relief for certain symptoms is available.