Equatorial Guinea has confirmed 13 cases of Marburg disease since the outbreak began, according to health officials, after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) urged the Central African country’s government to disclose new cases.
According to the WHO, Marburg virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 88%.
Fever, exhaustion, and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea are among the symptoms. There are no authorised vaccines or antiviral treatments to treat it. Marburg is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is from the same virus family that causes the deadly Ebola illness.
Since the outbreak began, nine people have perished and one has recovered, according to Equatorial Guinea’s health ministry, which also stated that 825 contacts have been traced.
According to WHO, the nation confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the disease in February and reported 9 laboratory-confirmed cases last week, bringing the total number of deaths and probable cases to 20 each.
According to the WHO, there is also an outbreak of the Marburg virus in Tanzania, where eight cases, including five deaths, have been recorded in the northwest Kagera region.
WHO stated that it was collaborating with local governments and vaccine manufacturers to set up trials in the affected nations.