WHO confirms the outbreak of another deadly virus named ‘Marburg’

The world suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years and just started recovering. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly virus named ‘Marburg’ in Equatorial Guinea country this week.

Marburg virus is rare among people but it is highly infectious once it finds a human host. According to WHO, it is a fatal disease with a mortality rate of around 50%. During a 2005 outbreak of the Marburg virus in Angola, the death rate among the patients was as high as 88%. There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments currently approved to treat the virus.

As per WHO, the viral fever is confirmed to have killed at least one person in the country and is linked to another eight deaths. Reportedly, there are 16 other suspected cases in the country. The virus outbreak started in Ghana in July 2022. Also, this virus is said to be difficult to diagnose. The virus is highly contagious even after death through corpses.

Common symptoms of the Marburg virus include hemorrhagic fever, fatigue, blood-stained vomit, and diarrhea. The disease often begins abruptly with a high fever, a bad headache, and malaise. Muscle aches and cramps can accompany the onset, as well as jaundice, nausea, and pain in the abdomen.

Patients can experience deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and severe lethargy around day three and death often occurs between eight and nine days preceded by blood loss and shock. Only supportive care, treatment of specific symptoms, and rehydration can improve patients’ chances of survival. The virus, transmitted to humans via fruit bats, was first found in humans in 1967.