How dangerous is the new virus in Africa?

Marburg is a virus originating from fruit bats in Africa, spreading from person to person through respiratory secretions, causing a "ghost-like" hemorrhagic disease with a mortality rate of nearly 90%.

Things to know about the virus Marburg wrote

The World Health Organization (WHO) identified two deaths from the Marburg virus in Ghana on July 18. Originating from fruit bats, Marburg has occasionally caused small outbreaks of dengue fever, with sporadic cases mainly in Central and South Africa. However, the latest deaths show once again that pathogens can cross species boundaries and infect humans, potentially causing dangerous epidemics.

What is Marburg virus?

Marburg is a virus of the family Filoviridae (in the same family as Ebola), genetically unique, which can cause severe hemorrhagic disease in humans, with mortality ranging from 24% to 88%, depending on the strain and quality of treatment in health facilities.

Marburg virus disease was recognized in 1967, when outbreaks occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg, Frankfurt in Germany and the Serbian capital Belgrade.

The infections stemmed from Grivet monkeys imported from Uganda for research and production of polio vaccines. Later, sporadic outbreaks were reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

In 2008, the first independent infection was reported in tourists visiting the Rousettus bat cave in Uganda.

Marburg may have passed from African fruit bats to long-term workers in mines and caves. These are not airborne pathogens. The virus is transmitted from person to person through bodily fluids such as blood, saliva or urine.

Symptoms of Marburg virus infection

After an incubation period of two to 21 days, people infected with the virus begin to have symptoms of high fever, severe headache, malaise, accompanied by muscle aches. By the third day, they had watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Diarrhea lasts about a week.

During this stage, many doctors describe the patient as lifeless, "ghost-like" with sunken eyes, expressionless face, and extreme apathy.

During the outbreak recorded in 1967, most patients developed a rash without itching two to seven days after the first symptoms. Many patients experience severe bleeding or bleeding on day 7. Fresh blood appears in the vomit and stool, often accompanied by nose, gum, and vaginal bleeding. Spontaneous bleeding at sites with intravenous access for fluids or blood sampling.

During the advanced stage, the patient has a persistently high fever, may be confused, irritable, and aggressive. Men sometimes develop inflammation of the testicles by the third week.

Patients usually die 8 to 9 days after symptom onset, after severe blood loss and shock.

The Marburg virus originated in African fruit bats.

How to diagnose?

Without testing, it is difficult to distinguish Marburg from malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, Ebola, and other forms of viral hemorrhagic fever.

People at high risk

People most at risk of infection are usually family members, friends who have been in close contact with the patient, healthcare workers, caregivers of positive cases without using personal protective equipment.

Veterinarians, quarantine facility laboratory staff handling primates from Africa are also likely to be exposed.

Marburg is spread through the body of a patient. Therefore, people who perform burials and have direct contact with deceased patients are also susceptible to virus infection.

Treatments and vaccines

According to WHO, there is currently no approved vaccine or effective treatment for the disease from the Marburg virus. Experts are testing immunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies and antivirals.

For people who are hospitalized, doctors often provide supportive care, especially oral or intravenous rehydration, and symptom-specific treatment to improve the chances of survival.

The US government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency provided additional funding to the Sabin Vaccine Institute for clinical trials of the vaccine in October.