The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Ghana's first outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus disease after labs confirmed the infections in two cases announced earlier this month.
What is the Marburg Virus Disease?
WHO said that the Marburg Virus disease is a very infectious hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola and is spread to people by fruit bats and transmitted among people through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people and surfaces.
The virus was first detected in Guinea in September 2021. Outbreaks of MVD have earlier been reported in multiple African countries including Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.
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Marburg Virus Disease: Fatality rate
Like Ebola, Marburg Virus disease also has a high fatality rate from 24 percent to 88 percent on average.
Marburg Virus Disease: How is it transmitted?
Marburg Virus disease is spread to people by fruit bats (natural hosts of the virus) and transmitted among people through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people and surfaces.
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Marburg Virus Disease Symptoms
The symptoms of the Marburg Virus disease start showing between 2 days to 3 weeks after the infection is caught. Initial symptoms include high fever, severe headaches, muscle aches and pains along with a general feeling of discomfort.
From day 3 onwards, patients can also mark abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, and vomiting. Severe watery diarrhea is also one of the symptoms.
Bleeding can also occur from the nose, gums, and vagina in severe cases, which can lead to death around 8 to 9 days after symptoms start to show.
