An ineradicable Ebola-like virus that kills nine out of 10 people it infects is now spreading in Africa. The Marburg virus, one of the deadliest viruses ever discovered, has already killed nine people in Equatorial Guinea. Two suspected cases have since been identified in neighboring Cameroon, raising concerns that the virus could spread under the radar without us noticing.
The World Health Organization has sent medical teams to Equatorial Guinea, which are working at “full steam” to “save lives and contain the virus as soon as possible.” But what is Marburg? How does it spread? And are there treatments to stop the spread of the infection?
How deadly is Marburg?
Marburg is one of the deadliest viruses known in humans, with the World Health Organization reporting that it has a fatality rate of up to 88 percent. But experts estimate it is probably closer to 50%, similar to the Ebola virus. This means that out of every 100 people infected with Marburg, half are expected to die. However, scientists do not know the exact death rate. By comparison, Corona only had three percent deaths.
Is there a vaccine?
There are currently no approved vaccines to treat the virus. The World Health Organization convened an urgent meeting last Monday because of the many cases in Africa, which included inviting experts from all over the world. Members of the Marburg Virus Vaccine Consortium who spoke to the World Health Organization – said it could be months before effective vaccines and drugs are available, as manufacturers will need to collect materials and conduct trials. Experts have identified 28 possible experimental vaccines that could be effective against the virus – most of which were developed to fight Ebola.
What about medications, have they been proven to work?
In addition to the fact that there are no vaccines, there are also no approved treatments for the virus. However, the World Health Organization is currently investigating a range of potential treatments, including immunotherapies and drug therapies. The United Nations Health Agency has published that there are drugs to alleviate certain symptoms that can improve the chances of survival. Treatment in a hospital includes balancing the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, maintaining oxygen levels and blood pressure, replacing lost blood factors, and treating complicating infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC), experimental treatments have never been tried on humans.
How far are we from realistic treatments?
Experts told Britain’s Daily Mail that more cases may be needed to properly analyze the effectiveness of the virus and “years” before an effective drug is available.
Professor Jimmy Whitworth, professor of international public health at the London School of Medicine, said: “Usually outbreaks of Marburg virus develop very quickly, only a few cases become infected, and the outbreak subsides quickly after control measures are put in place, if the current outbreak follows this pattern It will be very challenging to test the effectiveness of candidate vaccines.”
He added: “It is likely that any vaccine will need to be tested across multiple outbreaks before we have a clear answer as to whether it works.” Instead, health officials hope the virus, which spreads through prolonged physical contact, will be contained before it causes a larger outbreak.
Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, also told the paper: “There is no immediate timetable for when we might see a Marburg vaccine. There are a lot of promising candidates, but my best guess is that we’re probably a few years away from seeing a finished product.”
How do you limit this outbreak?
Hundreds of people suspected of being infected with the virus have already been placed in isolation in Equatorial Guinea. International aid agencies have sent medical teams to the site where all 16 cases have been located so far. The World Health Organization has sent emergency health experts in epidemiology, case management, and infection prevention to support efforts to stop the spread. Neighboring countries Cameroon and Gabon have restricted movement along their borders due to contagion concerns.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms appear suddenly and include severe headaches, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting, they become more and more severe. In the early stages it is very difficult to distinguish between other tropical diseases, such as Ebola and malaria. Infected patients become ‘ghost-like’, often developing sunken eyes and expressionless faces. This is usually accompanied by bleeding in several places including the nose. Like Ebola, even dead bodies can spread the virus to people exposed to body fluids.
How does the virus spread?
Infections usually begin in areas where people have prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by infected fruit bat colonies. Fruit bats naturally carry the virus. However, it can spread between people, through direct contact with people’s body fluids, surfaces and infected materials.
Contaminated clothes and linens are a risk, as are burial rites that involve direct contact with the deceased. In Equatorial Guinea, the virus has been found in samples taken from deceased patients suffering from symptoms including fever, fatigue and vomiting and blood-stained diarrhoea. Healthcare workers were often infected while caring for Marburg patients.
Why is it called Marburg and how long have scientists known about it?
Marburg was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt – Germany, and in Belgrade – Yugoslavia (now Serbia). The infections were located in three laboratories that received a joint shipment of infected African monkeys.