MARBURG VIRUS DISEASE
\nThis is a rare, extremely dangerous viral haemorrhagic disease with average mortality of about 50%
\nIt was first discovered in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia, in 1967, with 29 confirmed cases and 7 deaths (24% mortality).
\nThe most serious epidemic has been in Angola in 2005 when there were 374 confirmed cases with 327 deaths (87% mortality).
\nSince1967 till date there have been less than 500 cases of Marburg Virus Disease reported worldwide\u2019
\nOnly 3 cases have been reported in West Africa: 1 case in Guinea in September 2021, that died; and 2 cases in Ghana in 2022 that both died. The 2 patients in Ghana were a 26 year-old male and a 51 year-old male. 98 people who had contacts with the 2 patients were subsequently quarantined in Ghana.
\nNigeria has presently been put on high alert status by Nigerian Centre for Disease Control.<\/p>\n
MARBURG VIRUS
\nThe virus is related to Ebola virus. The virus belongs to the genus Marbugvirus. It causes haemorrhagic fever and multi-organ damage that easily kills the victim.
\n The virus is carried by fruit bats, green monkeys, and pigs. There have been hundreds of cases reported in Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and DR Congo; mostly in male workers working in bat-infested mines.
\nIn 2008 two women (a Dutch and an American) who visited a cave in Uganda National Park contracted the virus. The Dutch woman died and the American woman survived.
\nThe virus was first discovered in August, 1967 in laboratory workers in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade in Yugoslavia (now Serbia).<\/p>\n
SPREAD OF VIRUS
\nTransmission of the virus is through contact with infected animals or contact with body fluids of infected humans or corpses. The body fluid may be blood, urine, saliva, sweat, faeces, vomitus, breastmilk, semen, or amniotic fluid. Family members and healthcare workers should be extremely cautious when dealing with a suspected or confirmed case of Marburg Virus Disease. <\/p>\n
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
\nA person that has contracted the disease will start manifesting symptoms after 3 to 5 days. Initial symptoms include fever, severe headache, nausea and muscle pain. Afterwards the person will have severe bleeding from all external orifices, namely mouth, nose, eyes, anus, urinary tract, and female genital tract. Death usually occurs in 8 to 9 days from severe haemorrhage and multiple organ failure. <\/p>\n
TREATMENT
\nThere is no vaccine and no specific curative drug treatment against the virus. Management of the patient entails giving supportive treatment, such as blood transfusion and rehydration. <\/p>\n
References
\nwww.contagionlive.com
\nwww.cdc.gov<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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