Nine people have died of Marburg virus disease, a deadly hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, in Equatorial Guinea. The health minister has announced that a province has been quarantined to contain the “epidemic” in the sparsely populated rural area bordering Gabon and Cameroon.
Currently, only three people with mild symptoms are isolated in a hospital. Equatorial Guinea has declared a health alert for a Marburg hemorrhagic fever in the province of Kie-Ntem and in the neighboring district of Mongomo. A containment plan has been put in place in close collaboration with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) to deal with the epidemic.
Marburg virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is spread in humans through direct contact with the body fluids of infected persons, or with surfaces and materials. Outbreaks of MVD are not frequent in West Africa.
The Marburg virus disease outbreak in Equatorial Guinea has raised concerns among health officials and the public, especially as the country is still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Marburg virus is similar to Ebola and has a high mortality rate. The disease can be transmitted through direct contact with the body fluids of infected persons or with surfaces and materials contaminated with the virus.
Symptoms of MVD
The symptoms of MVD can be similar to those of Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers, and they typically appear within 2 to 21 days after infection.
The early symptoms of MVD can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and general weakness. As the disease progresses, it can cause nausea, vomiting, chest pain, cough, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, MVD can lead to internal bleeding, organ failure, and shock, and it can have a high mortality rate.
The most recent outbreak of MVD in West Africa was reported in Ghana between June and September 2022, which resulted in three confirmed cases and two deaths.
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