WHO CONFIRMS MARBURG VIRUS OUTBREAK IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA

CHECK OUT SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

As Death of 9 people have been reported, in Equatorial Guinea The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the first ever outbreak of Marburg disease, a viral haemorrhagic fever.

Marburg virus disease (MVD), which is also commonly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever is viral haemorrhagic fever that is often fatal illness in humans. Belonging to the Filoviridae family (filovirus) to which Ebola Virus also belongs, it has similar clinical features to Ebola, although caused by different virus

It has a very high fatality ranging from 24-88 % according to WHO, although the average is noted to be 50%

WHAT CAUSES MVD? human MVD infection results from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies and spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. Healthcare workers are at strong risk of getting this infection

SYMPTOMS OF MVD Symptoms include abrupt high fever, headache and severe malaise and tiredness. Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting. The appearance of patients has been described as showing “ghost-like” drawn features, deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic manifestations and fatal cases usually have some form of bleeding, often from multiple areas. In fatal cases, death occurs most often between 8 and 9 days after symptom onset, usually preceded by severe blood loss and shock.

TREATMENTS FOR MVD Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved for MVD, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) under development and antivirals e.g. Remdesivir and Favipiravir that have been used in clinical studies for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

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