Marburg virus disease is spreading rapidly in West African countries. It is as deadly as the Ebola virus. Marburg virus disease was first discovered in the southern Ashanti region of Ghana.
what is marburg virus
The Marburg virus is related to the Ebola virus itself. This Viruses cause flu-like symptoms in the body. Sequencing is done by taking samples for its identification. its The virus is detected by tissue culture.
The name of this virus is from Germany It was named after the city of Marburg, where it was first found in 1967.
For the first time, two patients with Marburg virus were found in the southern Ashanti region of Ghana. who later died.
On July 10, both tested positive for the Marburg virus. Their results were confirmed by a laboratory in Senegal, the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Testing at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal confirmed the results.
Symptoms of Marburg include headache, fever, muscle aches and bleeding.
According to the WHO, the first case was a 26-year-old man who died on June 27. The other was a 51-year-old man, who died the same day. Although the cause of their death is not clear, it is believed that they died from the Marburg virus.
MVD, formerly known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever. According to WHO, it is a serious disease with symptoms of headache, fever, muscle pain and bleeding. Its mortality can range from 24% to 88%.
Symptoms of diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting were reported in both patients from Ghana before they died. Since there was no connection between the two people. Therefore, it is suggested that the disease is spreading more and more.
a virus spread by bats
According to the WHO, the Marburg virus spreads from bats present in fruit to humans. It spreads rapidly between people through the transfer of body fluids and contact with contaminated surfaces.
However, continuous efforts are being made to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. According to dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said it will not be easy to stop Marburg without immediate and decisive action.
The WHO declared it an outbreak. Resources are being mobilized for its prevention.
Last year, a case was confirmed in Guinea
The current outbreak of MVD has been detected for the second time in Ghana, West Africa. A confirmed case was discovered in Guinea in August last year.
When in Germany in 1967 the first MVD outage took place in which seven people died. Since then, a dozen people have become victims of it. Most of the victims of MVD are from southern and eastern Africa.
According to the WHO, the deadliest epidemic occurred in Angola in 2005 at a record level. More than 200 people were killed in it.
