The World Health Organization confirmed this week that Equatorial Guinea is experiencing its first outbreak of Marburg disease, a condition caused by a virus that has resulted in at least nine deaths in the small West African country. There are another 16 suspected cases, according to the agency.What is the Marburg virus?
Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in bats and spreads among people through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces, such as sheets.
Marburg causes Marburg virus disease, a hemorrhagic fever that can affect multiple organs in the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after causing simultaneous outbreaks of the disease in laboratories in Germany and Belgrade, according to the CDC. The 31 people who were exposed to the virus during research with monkeys became ill, and seven died.Symptoms of Marburg virus disease
The incubation period for the disease is 2 days to three weeks, according to the WHO.
Symptoms begin abruptly, with intense fever and headache. A few days after onset, many patients experience vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain for up to a week.
Severe cases are accompanied by bleeding in the first week. Some patients vomit blood or pass it in their stools. Patients also bleed from the gums, nose, and genitals.
The disease can spread to the nervous system, causing patients to become confused, irritable, and aggressive.Treatment for Marburg virus disease
There is no specific treatment for Marburg disease, according to the CDC.
Still, “early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival,” according to the WHO, which added that a range of therapies involving medications and blood to treat the disease are in development.
The CDC stated that the fatality rate of the disease ranges from 23% to 90%. In an outbreak in 2004 in Angola, Marburg killed 90% of the 252 infected individuals. Last year, there were only two deaths associated with Marburg in Ghana.