“Latest Updates on Marburg Virus Outbreak in Equatorial Guinea: WHO Director General’s Statement”

2023-04-18 18:24:00

GENEVA, April 18 (Xinhua) — The number of laboratory-confirmed Marburg virus cases in Equatorial Guinea stands at 16, including 11 deaths, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in Geneva. ), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, quoted in a statement released on Tuesday.

A new case was recently reported in a healthcare worker who was under surveillance due to exposure to a previous case. “The case was detected on the day of illness onset and received antiviral therapy according to government protocol, which is supported by WHO,” the WHO director-general said.

A total of 23 probable cases of Marburg have also been reported since the outbreak was declared on February 13. The most affected area is the district of Bata, in the Littoral province.

WHO calls on all partners to remain vigilant as there may be undetected chains of transmission in the country. In addition, the UN agency is working with neighboring countries to prepare for any imports.

According to the WHO, Marburg disease is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is spread among humans through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated surfaces and objects. The disease is very virulent and causes hemorrhagic fever with a mortality rate of up to 88%. The virus belongs to the same family as that responsible for Ebola virus disease. There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved yet to treat the virus. END

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