WHO identifies deadly Marburg virus in Ghana: what you need to know

National health officials say they are working to isolate close contacts and mitigate the spread of the virus, and WHO is marshaling resources and sending experts to the country.

“Health authorities have responded swiftly and made a good start in case of an outbreak. This is because Marburg can easily get out of hand without swift and decisive action. It’s a good thing, “said Machidi Society, WHO’s Director of Africa.

According to WHO, the case fatality rate from this disease can reach nearly 90 percent.

Here’s what we know about this virus:

What is the Marburg virus?

Marburg is a rare but highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever, EbolaA famous virus that has plagued West Africa for many years.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Marburg virus is a “genetic unique zoonotic disease … RNA virus of the filoviridae family.” “The six Ebolaviruses are the only other known members of the filoviridae family.”

Mortality rates range from 24 percent to 88 percent. according to To WHO, depending on the virus strain and the quality of case management.

Marburg probably transmitted to people from African fruit bats As a result of long-term exposure from people working in mines and caves with russet flying fox colonies. It’s not an aerial illness.

When someone is infected, the virus can easily spread among humans through direct contact with the infected person’s body fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine, as well as surfaces and substances. Relatives and health care workers remain the most vulnerable alongside patients, and bodies can continue to be transmitted at burial.

The first case of the virus was confirmed in Europe in 1967. The disease was first recognized by two outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. According to the CDC, at least seven deaths were reported in this outbreak, and the first infected people were exposed to African savanna monkeys or their tissues imported from Uganda during laboratory studies.

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Where was Marburg detected?

The Ghana case is the second time Marburg has been detected in West Africa.The first case reported in this area was Guinea last year. The virus can spread quickly. In Ghana, more than 90 contacts are monitored, including healthcare professionals and community members. WHO said it is also calling attention to neighboring high-risk countries.

Cases of Marburg have previously been reported elsewhere in Africa, include Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe.The largest outbreak killed more than 200 people Angola Year 2005.

The virus is not known to be endemic to other continents, such as North America, and the CDC states that non-African cases are “rare.” However, in 2008, after a Dutch woman visited Uganda, she died of Marburg disease. American tourists also got the illness after their trip to Uganda in 2008, but have recovered.both Traveler I was visiting a famous cave inhabited by fruit bats in a national park.

According to the WHO, the illness begins “suddenly” and is accompanied by high fever, severe headaches and malaise. Muscle soreness and cramping pain are also common features.

In Ghana, two unrelated individuals who died experienced Symptoms Diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, etc. One case was a 26-year-old man who checked in to the hospital on June 26 and died the next day. The second was a 51-year-old man who went to the hospital on June 28 and died the same day, WHO said.

In fatal cases, death usually occurs between 8 and 9 days after the onset of the disease, preceded by severe blood loss and bleeding, and multiple organ failure.

The CDC also points out that around day 5, a non-itchy rash on the chest, back, or stomach can occur. The clinical diagnosis of Marburg can be “difficult” and has many of the same symptoms as other infections such as malaria and typhoid fever.

There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments to treat Marburg virus.

However, supportive care can improve survival, including oral or intravenous hydration, maintaining oxygen levels, using medication, and treating certain symptoms that occur. Some health experts say that drugs similar to those used for Ebola may be effective.

According to the CDC, some “ treatments” in Marburg have been tested in animals but have never been tried in humans.

WHO states that virus samples collected from patients for research are “extreme biohazard risk” and laboratory trials should be performed under “maximum biocontainment conditions.”

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WHO said this week it is supporting Ghana’s “Joint National Investigation Team” and sending its own experts to Ghana. We also send personal protective equipment to a small number of cases, enhance disease surveillance and track contact information.

Details may be shared at the WHO Africa online briefing scheduled for Thursday.

“I’m worried that the geographic extent of this virus infection seems to be widespread. It’s a very serious infection with high mortality,” said an international public health expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Professor Jimmy Whitworth told the Washington Post on Monday.

“It is important to try to understand how the virus has invaded the population in order to cause this outbreak and prevent further cases. Currently, the risk of spreading outside the Ashanti region of Ghana is It’s very low, “he added.