Two months have passed since the Marburg virus, a cousin of Ebola and almost as deadly, raged in Equatorial Guinea and the epidemic worries the World Health Organization.
- A new death is to be deplored, bringing to 10 the provisional death toll since the start of the epidemic caused by the Marburg virus.
- The virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans, called Marburg virus disease (MVD), with an average case fatality rate of 50%.
- The WHO warns of a possible “large-scale epidemic”, which could affect neighboring Gabon and Cameroon in particular.
The latest provisional assessment of the Marburg virus disease epidemic which has been spreading for more than two months in Equatorial Guinea, reports ten confirmed deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Monday. “No cases reported in the last forty-eight hours, 14 cumulative positive cases”And “ten hospitalized”of which “two confirmed and eight suspects”announced the ministry of this Central African state in a report dated Sunday, and published this Monday, April 3 on Twitter.
Marburg virus: a severe, often fatal viral hemorrhagic fever
A new death is to be deplored, bringing to 10 the provisional death toll since the start of the epidemic caused by this cousin virus of Ebola. A total of “604 people” contact cases are being followed up, compared to 825 on March 30, the ministry adds.
The Marburg virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, or with surfaces and materials. The virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans, called Marburg virus disease (MVM), which can often be fatal. According to the WHO, the average lethality rate of this disease is around 50%. It has varied from 24% to 88% in previous outbreaks, depending on viral strain and case management.
Additional experts deployed by WHO
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Equatorial Guinea to notify it of additional cases of Marburg virus due to fears of more widespread infections than expected.
The UN agency warns of a possible “large-scale epidemic”, which can affect neighboring Gabon and Cameroon in particular. Cases were discovered outside the province of Kié-Ntem where the epidemic had caused the first deaths recorded on January 7, until affecting Bata, the economic capital of the country. The WHO had promised the deployment “additional experts” and claimed that she was helping “also Gabon and Cameroon to strengthen preparedness and response to the epidemic”.
Tanzania also announced two weeks ago the start of an outbreak of Marburg, which has already caused five deaths.
