The West African country of Equatorial Guinea declared an outbreak of the Marburg virus disease in mid-February. There have been at least 9 lab confirmed cases, 7 of which resulted in death, and 20 probable cases of dead individuals in this outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.
Now, authorities in Tanzania, in East Africa, have confirmed that country’s first ever case of the fatal disease. Health officials are investigating a total of eight cases, five of whom have died, and they have identified a total of 161 contacts that are being monitored.
What is the Marburg virus disease?
Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever virus. Marburg virus disease is extremely deadly and is highly contagious when engaging in direct contact with an infected person. With previous outbreak case fatality rates have ranged from 24% to 88%, with an average fatality rate of around 50%. That means about half the people who contract the disease will die from it.
What are symptoms and what makes this disease so dangerous
Symptoms often start suddenly, with infected patients experiencing high fever, headache, muscle aches and malaise. It’s also common to have abdominal pain and cramping and heavy watery diarrhea.
This disease, like Ebola, is a hemorrhagic fever, in which infected individuals bleed from multiple orifices. Externally, patients might bleed from the nose, gums and eyes, and internal bleeding manifests as blood in vomit, urine and stool. Severe blood loss can cause shock and death.
The incubation period — the period from infection to the start of symptoms — is as short as two days to as long as three weeks. Most symptoms start within a week, with death occurring between eight and nine days after initial symptoms.
How is the Marburg virus spread?
Marburg is spread via direct person-to-person contact. That includes contact with blood or other bodily fluids or objects contaminated with the bodily fluids of an infected person — such as bedding, clothing, needles and other medical equipment. Some cases have also been documented in which semen from a man who has recovered from Marburg has resulted in transmission to his partners.
Is there a vaccine?
No vaccine has been developed against the Marburg virus.
Who should worry about the Marburg virus?
At this time, cases of the Marburg virus disease have been found in just the two countries, Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. Efforts are underway to contain these outbreaks. Successful containment has occurred in the past. Marburg is not a new disease — it was detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Serbia. Numerous outbreaks have occurred since, including in Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and most recently, in 2022, in Ghana.
Following the recent outbreak of Marburg in Tanzania, the Ministry of health officials assessed preparedness and readiness of Kyotera district following the declaration of Marburg in Mutukula, Uganda which boarders Tanzania.
Screening of travelers commenced on 28/03/23 at Kikagate point of entry Isingiro district ahead of Marburg Outbreak in Tanzania.
The two Marburg outbreaks in West and East Africa must be monitored closely. Health care workers in these regions should be on high alert, and efforts to test a vaccine and treatments should be expedited. However, the Marburg virus is yet another reminder of the many zoonotic pathogens that are capable of causing severe harm to human health.
