The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday that there have been eight more Marburg disease cases in Equatorial Guinea that have been verified. Nine laboratory-confirmed cases and 20 probable cases have been reported since the deadly illness similar to Ebola was designated an outbreak in February. There have reportedly been 20 fatalities. After five fatalities and three additional cases of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) were recorded at a hospital in Tanzania’s Kagera region, the country has proclaimed its first outbreak of the disease. It’s believed that more than 100 individuals have contracted MVD.
Marburg, which is similar to Ebola, produces fever, significant bleeding, and vomiting from the eyes, nose, and gums. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola are two countries in central Africa where it is prevalent. It is also said to have happened in Kenya in the past. However, the first Marburg virus epidemic on the other side of the continent in Equatorial Guinea occurred just one month prior to the current outbreak.
The WHO said in a statement that of the eight new cases, two were reported from the Kie-Ntem province of the Central African nation, four from the Litoral province, and two from the Centre-Sur province. About 150 kilometers separate the areas reporting the cases, suggesting a wider spread of the virus, according to the WHO. Marburg virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate that can reach almost 90%.
According to the World Health Organization, 161 people have been identified as being at risk of infection through contact tracing. The government has deployed an emergency response team to the area and neighboring countries have stepped up surveillance. No cases have yet been documented outside Kagera.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit, and diarrhea. By contacting towels or other items that have encountered an infected person, people can also contract the disease.
Before symptoms appear, the Marburg virus can reportedly incubate in an infected person for two to 21 days. However, when warning signs do appear, they initially resemble those of other tropical diseases like Ebola and malaria. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral medications to treat it. Last month, neighboring Cameroon discovered two possible cases of Marburg disease despite limiting border crossings to prevent its spread.
The WHO has labeled the Marburg virus as “epidemic-prone,” and hailed it as the next major pandemic threat. It can also spread between people through contact with bodily fluids from an infected person. The virus can jump into humans from fruit bats that are found throughout central Africa.
CWEBÂ has provided some information for this story.
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