Congo Faces Twelfth Ebola Epidemic 1:51
(CNN Spanish) – A uncommon however extremely infectious illness, the Marburg virus, was first detected in West Africa, the World Well being Group (WHO) reported on Wednesday.
The affected person in Gueckedou, Guinea, died after contracting the illness brought on by the virus, much like Ebola. The detection of this case from Marburg comes lower than two months after the nation declared exactly the finish of its most up-to-date outbreak of Ebola.
Guinean well being authorities tried to seek out individuals who could have had contact with the affected person, whereas an preliminary group of 10 WHO specialists is on the floor to analyze the case and help the response to the emergency.
A microscopic picture of the Marburg virus.
However what is the Marburg virus, and how prevalent and dangerous is it actually?
In response to the WHO, the Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when 31 individuals grew to become ailing in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, then Yugoslavia and now Serbia, in an outbreak that ultimately traced again to monkeys. imported from Uganda.
Excessive mortality charges, low frequency
It was initially often known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, and has mortality charges that vary between 24% and 88%, relying on the pressure and care.
By comparability, Ebola mortality charges vary from 25% to 90%, and on common they stand at 50%.
Since its first outbreak, the Marburg virus has appeared sporadically, with solely a dozen outbreaks recorded in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa (in a single one that had traveled to Zimbabwe) and Uganda, in accordance with the WHO. . A lot of them concerned just one identified case.
Congo Faces Twelfth Ebola Epidemic 1:51
Its signs are much like these of Ebola, starting with fever and weak spot, usually resulting in inner or exterior bleeding, organ failure, and demise. Whereas its incubation interval is between 2 and 21 days, and most deaths happen between day eight or 9.
Sufferers who expertise extreme circumstances usually tackle a “ghostly” look, with clean faces and wasted our bodies, in accordance with the WHO.
Origin in animals
The Marburg virus is transmitted primarily to people by way of fruit bats – that is, they eat fruit – of the Pteropodidae household, often known as rousettus. Though circumstances of transmission by way of African inexperienced monkeys (cercopithecus aethiops) have additionally been famous, together with the first documented in Europe.
Fruit-eating bats are a serious supply of Marburg virus transmission. (Credit score: Sam Panthaky / . / .)
It can then cross from individual to individual by way of direct contact with the physique fluids of contaminated individuals, organs or surfaces and supplies contaminated with these fluids.
There are presently no vaccines or antiviral remedies for the Marburg virus. Nevertheless, there are remedies for particular signs that can enhance sufferers’ probabilities of survival.
There are, as well as, remedies to neutralize the virus presently beneath investigation, together with antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, however nonetheless with out approval, the WHO indicated.
With info from Stephanie Busari and Samson Ntale.
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