Marburg virus: What you need to know about the disease outbreak

Deadly Marburg virus detected in Equatorial Guinea and neighboring Cameroon, World Health Organization deploys team to track spread of disease

To Grace Wade

Two suspected cases of Marburg disease have been detected in Cameroon. This comes days after an outbreak was confirmed in neighboring Equatorial Guinea. This is the country’s first outbreak after a recently deceased person tested positive for the disease. This is the first outbreak of the highly contagious virus since June 2022, when Ghanaian health authorities detected three cases.

Officials believe at least eight other people have died from the virus in Equatorial Guinea. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, another 16 people are most likely to have the condition after exhibiting symptoms such as fever, fatigue and bloody vomiting and have been in contact with them. The other 21 people who died are in home isolation.

“Thanks to the rapid and decisive action by the Equatorial Guinean authorities in confirming the disease, the emergency response can quickly go to full speed, saving lives and stopping the virus as soon as possible,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. said. ,In a meeting.

WHO is cooperating with the Government of Equatorial Guinea in its response to the outbreak, deploying experts in epidemiology, clinical care and disease prevention to the country. We are also helping authorities in Cameroon and Gabon prepare to rapidly detect, isolate and provide care to people who may be infected with the Marburg virus.

About 50% of people infected with the Marburg virus die from the disease, although case fatality rates range from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain. The Marburg virus belongs to the same virus family as Ebola and causes symptoms such as severe fatigue, headache and bleeding. Severe bleeding usually occurs in the week before her illness, with frequent bleeding in vomiting and diarrhea. Bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina is also common.

Outbreaks tend to start when they become infected with the virus through prolonged exposure to flying foxes, usually in caves and mines. It is then spread from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces. It’s not airborne.

“Families and hospital staff caring for Marburg virus-infected patients are at greatest risk,” says Harish Mujani of Northwell Health in New York. He says the risk of the virus spreading to countries outside Africa, such as the US and UK, is very low.

There is no vaccine or approved treatment for Marburg virus, but hydration with alcohol and intravenous fluids improves survival. WHO conference attendees discussed potential vaccine candidates, with three drug developers saying they may be able to make doses sufficient to test vaccines in the current outbreak. and Equatorial Guinea officials are also discussing the possibility of testing an experimental treatment in the region.

“The decision on the trial of [Marburg virus] Vaccines and treatments will be made by national authorities and researchers in Equatorial Guinea,” said Ghebreyesus. “In the meantime, WHO is convening a Vaccine Prioritization Committee to identify which candidate vaccines should be evaluated first and taking steps to prepare them for potential trials.”

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