Marburg virus

The World Health Organization confirmed two cases of the Marburg virus in Ghana. The highly-infectious disease is similar to Ebola and has no vaccine.

“It is important to try to understand how the virus got into the human population to cause this outbreak and to stop any further cases. “It is a worry that the geographical range of this viral infection appears to have spread. It is also sending personal protective equipment, bolstering disease surveillance and tracing contacts in response to the handful of cases. The highly infectious Marburg virus has been reported in the West African country of Ghana this week, according to the World Health Organization. Clinical diagnosis of Marburg “can be difficult,” it says, with many of the symptoms similar to other infectious diseases such as malaria or typhoid fever. Two large outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade, Serbia, led to the initial recognition of the disease.

No treatment or vaccine exists for Marburg, which can spread from infected animals such as bats.

“This is the first time Ghana has confirmed Marburg virus disease,” said the GHS head, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye. “This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand. The World Health Organization declared Ghana’s first outbreak.

Ghana Health Service is working to reduce risks of virus spreading, including isolation of all identified contacts.

The first case was a 26-year-old male who checked into a hospital on June 26 and died on June 27. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. Ghana Health Service says it is working to reduce the risks of the virus spreading, including the isolation of all identified contacts.

According to the WHO, the illness, a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever that belongs to the same family as Ebola, is transferred to humans by fruit bats and ...

According to the WHO, previous Marburg outbreaks and lone cases have been reported in Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. The second case included a male patient, 51, who entered the hospital on June 28 and passed away the same day, according to WHO, who also noted that both patients sought care at the same hospital. "Health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak," said WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti. "This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand.

Marburg is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease.

Marburg is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever in the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease. Although there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus, supportive care of specific symptoms improves survival. The Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, received samples from two unrelated deceased patients, the WHO said in an emailed statement.

Fruit bats are the natural reservoir of Marburg virus. The Washington Post via Getty Images. Key Facts. Marburg is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever ...

Health officials in Ghana have advised people to avoid caves and mines occupied by bats to minimize the risk of spreading the virus and to thoroughly cook meat before consumption. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that diagnosis of Marburg virus disease “can be difficult” as many signs and symptoms are similar to other infectious diseases like malaria or typhoid fever or other hemorrhagic fevers like Lassa or Ebola. It is the country’s first outbreak and only the second time the disease has been detected in West Africa. Nearly 100 people have been placed under quarantine after being identified as potential contacts.

Ghana announced the country's first outbreak of Marburg virus disease after a World Health Organization laboratory confirmed earlier test results.

Marburg virus killed two men in Ghana in June, touching off the West African nation's first confirmed outbreak of the highly virulent disease.

It’s a member of the Filoviridae family of viruses which can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in people, killing up to 90% of those infected. Since then, many more viruses known to cause similar diseases in humans have been discovered around the world, with globalization, international travel, and climate change aiding their spread. From the same family as the Ebola virus, Marburg caused occasional outbreaks and sporadic cases mostly in Central and Southern Africa until Guinea, in West Africa, confirmed a single, lethal case in August 2021.

An outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease (MVD) has been reported in Ghana. Two cases have been reported in the southern Ashanti region of the West ...

The outbreak was declared over in September. Health workers are at higher risk of contracting the infection. During this time, people have ghost-like appearance with deep-set eyes, expressionless faces and extreme weakness. Issues like disorientation, seizures and coma can occur in patients. readmore Reportedly, both the patients have died and 98 people have been put under quarantine.

Marburg virus killed two men in Ghana in June, touching off the West African nation's first confirmed outbreak of the highly virulent disease.

The second was a 51-year-old male who reported to the same hospital on June 28 and died that day. The first was a 26-year-old male who checked into a hospital on June 26 and died the following day. No vaccine or antiviral treatment has been approved for Marburg virus disease, though several approaches, including blood products, immune therapies, monoclonal antibodies and antivirals, are being evaluated, according to the WHO. Supportive care, especially rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids, and treatment of specific symptoms improves chances of survival. Historically, the people at highest risk include family members and hospital staff who care for patients infected with Marburg virus and haven’t used personal protective equipment or other infection prevention measures. It’s a member of the Filoviridae family of viruses which can cause severe hemorrhagic fever in people, killing up to 90% of those infected. Human cases have resulted from prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by colonies of the flying mammals. Many patients develop severe bleeding, or hemorrhaging, at the end of the first week of symptoms. In the first recorded outbreak in 1967, a non-itchy rash was noted in most patients two-to-seven days after the onset of symptoms. The African fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus is considered the reservoir host, or main carrier, of Marburg virus. From the same family as the Ebola virus, Marburg caused occasional outbreaks and sporadic cases mostly in Central and Southern Africa until Guinea, in West Africa, confirmed a single, lethal case in August 2021. Males occasionally experience inflammation of one or both testicles in the third week of the disease. The latest deaths show once again how a pathogen found in fruit bats can cross the species barrier to infect humans and risk touching off a deadly scourge.

The incubation period for Marburg virus disease - how long it takes before symptoms emerge - varies from 2 to 21 days. (CDC/Dr Frederick Murphy) ...

The second was a 51-year-old man who went to a hospital on 28 June and died the same day, the WHO said. One case was a 26-year-old man who checked into a hospital on 26 June and died a day later. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply. Since then, outbreaks have been reported in Kenya, South, Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe. A 2005 outbreak in Angola killed more than 300 people. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply. It is not an airborne disease.

As cases are reported in Ghana, here's a look at the disease, its symptoms and ways of preventing the illness.

In women who might have been infected while pregnant, the virus may persist in the placenta and fetus. The WHO has also recommended precautionary measures in pig farms to avoid them from becoming infected through contact with fruit bats. The virus is also known to persist in some people who have recovered, and it can be found in the testicles and inside of the eye. According to the CDC, the Marburg virus disease is a severe hemorrhagic fever that is caused by the Marburg virus. Health authorities in Ghana have officially confirmed two cases of the highly infectious Marburg virus in the country, after two people after two people who later died, tested positive for the virus on July 10. In Africa, previous outbreaks have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. Other outbreaks have also been reported in Europe and the United States.

Monitoring outbreaks is critical for a disease that is highly infectious and has a fatality rate of up to 88 percent.

Health authorities in Ghana have traced over 90 contacts of the two individuals and are now monitoring them for symptoms of the disease. The disease is named after the first reported outbreak in Marburg, Germany, in 1967 and was associated with a laboratory that was working with African green monkeys that were imported from Uganda, the WHO said on its webpage. On June 26, 2022, a 26-year-old male from the Ashanti region in southern Ghana was admitted to a hospital with symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting and died a day later.