The Marburg Virus
Context:
- Equatorial Guinea recently received a diagnosis of the highly contagious Marburg virus disease, or MVD, which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene an urgent summit.
The MVD:
- People with the serious illness Hemorrhagic viral fever is a symptom of Marburg virus disease (MVD) (it was formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever). The virus’s name derives from the simultaneous epidemics that occurred in Frankfurt and Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia, in 1967.
- The Marburg virus infects bats, the virus’s natural hosts, in a manner akin to how the Ebola virus spreads. Fruit bats with the virus do not show any obvious signs, but it can cause significant illness or even death in humans.
- It is passed from bats to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick bats or surfaces that have been contaminated with fluids, like bedsheets and clothing. During the funeral services, intimate touch with the deceased’s corpse could potentially spread the disease.
- Both Marburg and Ebola diseases are brought on by members of the Filoviridae family and have similar clinical characteristics.
Percentage of deaths:
- The virus can spend two to 21 days incubating. The WHO estimates that the disease has an average 50% mortality rate. Those who contract the virus have acute illness and symptoms including a high fever, a horrible headache, and discomfort. Several persons experience severe hemorrhagic signs within 7 days.
- “A typical sign is soreness and aches in the muscles. On the third day, it’s possible to experience severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Diarrhea can last for a week. People at this stage have been described as having “ghost-like” drawn features, deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and profound lethargy, according to the WHO.
- When the illness is at its worst, patients have high fevers. Central nervous system involvement may lead to confusion, irritability, and aggressiveness. Eight to nine days after the start of symptoms, death commonly occurs in fatal cases; it is typically preceded by considerable blood loss and shock.
- Neither vaccines nor drugs have been licenced yet to treat the Marburg virus disease. Nonetheless, the WHO states that addressing specific symptoms as well as rehydrating with oral or intravenous fluids can improve survival rates.
Ebola in Equatorial Guinea:
- The graphic above shows the frequency of MVD instances throughout historical records.
- Since 1967, cases have been documented in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. 90% of the 252 persons who caught MVD in Angola in 2004 during an outbreak died. In July of last year, there were two MVD fatalities reported in Ghana.
Eliminating the virus:
- “To locate contacts, isolate, and treat those displaying symptoms of the sickness, advance teams have been stationed in the affected regions. The WHO announced that it has dispatched health emergency specialists in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention, laboratory, and risk communication as part of its efforts to support national response operations and guarantee community engagement in outbreak control. The U.N. health organisation convened an important conference to evaluate vaccination candidates and their current state.
Moving ahead:
- The bulk of the zoonotic illnesses now making news, including COVID-19, swine flu, avian flu, and MVD, require a comprehensive approach to treatment. The One Health Approach (OHA) is a way of thinking that recognises the close connection between the wellbeing of people, animals, and the ecosystem as a whole.
