Marburg is a very infectious hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola and is spread to people by fruit bats and transmitted among people through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people and surfaces
Ghana has reported two suspected cases of the Ebola-like Marburg virus disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) informed.
WHO said preliminary analysis of samples taken from two patients from Ghana’s southern Ashanti region — both of whom have died — turned positive.
The samples have now been sent to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar research centre in Senegal for confirmation.
“No new cases have been reported since the two samples were taken two weeks ago,” said Ghana Health Service in a statement. Another 34 people who had contact with the cases have been identified and are currently in quarantine.
According to the WHO, if the two samples come positive, it would be the first case of Marburg in Ghana.
“Preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway,” it said.
What is Marburg virus disease?
The disease is a very infectious hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola and is spread to people by fruit bats and transmitted among people through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people and surfaces.
The virus has an incubation period of two to 21 days.
Previously, outbreaks and sporadic cases of Marburg in Africa have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
Guinea had confirmed a single case in an outbreak that was declared over in September 2021.
What are the symptoms of Marburg?
High fever, severe headache and severe malaise accompanied by Muscle aches and pains are some of the common symptoms of the disease. Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting are usually seen on the third day after contracting the virus, and persist for a week.
Confirmed cases that have resulted in fatalities have also seen symptoms like bleeding, often from multiple areas including vomits and faeces often accompanied by bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina.
The two suspected patients in Ghana has symptoms like diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting, before dying in the hospital.
What is the fatality rate of the disease?
Marburg is potentially very harmful and deadly: Case fatality rates in past outbreaks have ranged from 24% to 88%.
What is the cure?
No treatment or vaccine currently exists for Marburg. Rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids can help the patients.
The WHO last year said that it can be difficult to clinically distinguish Marburg virus disease from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis and meningitis.
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