What is the deadly Marburg virus? Where did it spread? | Health News

Rwanda battles first 'highly virulent' infectious disease outbreak marburg virus It was first reported in late September.

As of Thursday, 11 people in Rwanda were reported to have died from the virus. The Minister of Health announced that the country will begin clinical trials of vaccines and treatments.

So what is it marburg virus And how worried should we be?

What is Marburg virus?

marburg It belongs to the same family as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, namely the Filoviridae (Filovirus). It is said to be more serious than Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

It causes hemorrhagic fever, a type of fever that can damage blood vessel walls, according to information from the Mayo Clinic. Other diseases that cause this type of fever include dengue fever and yellow fever.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hemorrhagic fever causes internal bleeding that can lead to death.

The virus was first identified in 1967 in the German town of Marburg, from which it got its name. At the same time, it was also confirmed in Belgrade, Serbia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the case fatality rate to be between 24 and 88 percent. On average, about half of those infected with the virus die from the virus.

According to the WHO, it takes between two and 21 days for symptoms to appear after a person is infected with the virus.

The website states that “fatal cases usually have some form of hemorrhage, often from multiple sites,” and the onset of hemorrhage can occur within five to seven days. It adds that there is.

According to the WHO website, vomit or bleeding in the stool is often accompanied by bleeding from the nose, gums or vagina.

In severe cases, death may occur 8 to 9 days after symptoms begin.

Infectious disease expert Amira Ross told Al Jazeera: “People with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to severe illness and death from this virus.” Ross is a professor of global health and epidemiology at the George Mason University School of Public Health.

What symptoms do you have?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of Marburg virus include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, bleeding, and gastrointestinal symptoms.

How does Marburg virus spread?

Some people have been infected with Marburg virus after coming into contact with the Luzetta bat, a type of fruit bat that is found in mines and caves and transmits the virus.

However, the source of infection in Rwanda remains unclear.

Once an individual is infected with the virus, they can transmit the virus to others through direct contact with body fluids through broken skin or mucous membranes. The virus can also spread on surfaces contaminated with body fluids, such as bed sheets and clothing, according to the WHO website.

According to information from the CDC, the virus is not airborne.

What is the situation in Rwanda?

According to the latest information from the government, there are currently 36 confirmed cases of Marburg infection in Rwanda, and 25 people are being treated in isolation.

According to the WHO, 70% of the infected people were health workers at two health facilities in the country, but their names have not been made public.

“It is not uncommon for outbreaks to occur in health care facilities, especially in under-resourced health care facilities where adequate infection control measures are not in place,” Ross said.

In addition, Rwanda is monitoring 300 people who came into contact with known cases.

Where did the Marburg virus spread?

On September 27, Rwanda's Ministry of Health confirmed the latest outbreak of Marburg virus.

The current outbreak has so far been reported only in Rwanda.

Two passengers on a train from Frankfurt to Hamburg contacted their doctors fearing they had contracted the virus, sparking fears that the virus may have reached Germany.

However, local authorities announced on Thursday that both men tested negative in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which test samples taken from the inside of the cheeks known as buccal swabs, as well as blood. It tests the genetic material of a particular organism (in this case, a virus).

Small outbreaks of the virus have occurred in recent years, including the first outbreak in West Africa. Guinea In 2021, Ghanaian First epidemic in 2022; first epidemic in 2022; tanzania and equatorial guinea In 2023.

These were quickly contained. Equatorial Guinea reported 17 confirmed cases and 23 probable cases. According to the WHO, “12 of the 17 confirmed cases have died, and all probable cases have been reported dead.” Tanzania has one probable and eight confirmed cases, including five deaths.

According to the CDC, only one case in Guinea was diagnosed after the patient died. In Ghana, three people have been infected and two have died.

“We know that an infectious disease outbreak in one region can be a problem all over the world,” Ross said.

How dangerous is the recent Marburg outbreak?

The WHO assessed the risk of this outbreak as “very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level.”

Are there any vaccines or treatments?

There is no approved vaccine or treatment for this virus.

Rwanda's Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana announced Thursday that the country is speeding up the development of a vaccine.

The WHO said several vaccine candidates are in production. These include vaccines developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which announced it is working with the Rwandan government.

The University of Oxford team that developed AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine began trials of its Marburg vaccine candidate in the UK this summer, employing technology similar to that used in the COVID-19 vaccine.

The WHO told Reuters it has begun funding vaccine trials in collaboration with the Canadian government and the European Union Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Agency (HERA).

Diagnosed patients should immediately treat their symptoms with pain medication and stay well hydrated.

How can I avoid Marburg raids?

“The best thing to do is to practice good hygiene and limit your exposure to people who are sick,” Ross said.

He advised people to wear masks if they come into contact with someone who has symptoms of the virus and not to share food with anyone who may be infected.

“If you think you have been exposed to the virus, limit your contact with others, monitor your symptoms, and report it to your local health care provider or Department of Health official,” she said.

He added that the situation is difficult in most disease outbreaks because many health facilities around the world do not have the resources to adequately monitor the number of infected people.

“It is critical that the international community work together to fund preventive active surveillance and other programs. If we do not take this issue seriously, many more lives will be lost. ”

Why are outbreaks of Marburg disease becoming more frequent?

During the 50-year period from 1967 to 2017, 13 outbreaks were recorded.

Since 2021, five outbreaks have been recorded, indicating that outbreaks are becoming more frequent.

Ross said outbreaks and increases in cases are likely to continue for multiple reasons.

“Firstly, people are coming into closer contact with wild animals everywhere in the world,” she said, noting that wild animals are adapting to human contact and that both wild animals and humans are He added that they are no longer afraid of each other.

He added that an increase in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as immunocompromised conditions, are also driving up the number of infections. These make people more susceptible to the virus.

“That's great because advances in technology are increasing the lifespan of people with these conditions, but it also means more people are becoming susceptible to getting sick when exposed to pathogens.” '' Ross said.

She added that the spread of the virus is more likely to occur in places with limited medical infrastructure. “When people get seriously ill, they show up seeking treatment. [At which point] They may be shedding large amounts of virus. ” This also increases the chance of infection.