The global risk of spreading the Marburg virus, of the same family as Ebola, which causes an outbreak in Equatorial Guinea, is low, according to a statement published by World Health Organization (WHO), on Saturday, 25. At the national level, however, it is high.
Still according to the WHO, considering the regional scope, in this case, the African continent, the risk is moderate. “Cross-border population movements are frequent, and borders are very porous, between Ebebiyin and Nsock Nsomo districts in Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon. This constitutes a risk of cross-border spread,” the WHO explained in a statement.
Marburg disease causes hemorrhagic fever, with a fatality rate of up to 88%, according to the WHO, making it one of the deadliest viruses in the world. The picture starts abruptly, with high fever, headache and intense malaise. The incubation period for the virus ranges from two to 21 days. Symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea and vomiting may begin on the third day.
Severe hemorrhagic manifestations appear between five and seven days after the onset of symptoms. In fatal cases, death most often occurs between eight and nine days after the onset of clinical manifestations.
The virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials. For now, there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments.
However, according to WHO, supportive care (rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids) and treatment of specific symptoms improve patient survival.
On 13 February, the WHO Regional Office for Africa reported that Equatorial Guinea had confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus.
In Saturday’s statement, the international agency said that, until the 21st, the cumulative number of cases of the disease in the country was nine, and all had died.
According to the WHO, all nine victims were in contact with a relative with the same symptoms or participated in the burial of a person with symptoms compatible with that of the disease. The agency points out that, at this time, “there may be chains of transmission that have not been traced”.