Today, Monday, the World Health Organization expressed its deep concern regarding the Marburg virus spread Globally, confirming that the virus is able to kill the infected person within 3 days.
A spokesperson for the organization added, in statements to Al Arabiya, that the chances of surviving from Marburg rise if people follow the means of prevention.
The most dangerous symptoms
He also added that the most dangerous symptom of Marburg virus is reaching hemorrhagic fever.
It is noteworthy that two deaths were recorded in Ghana with this disease, which raised fears around the world, following the World Health Organization announced its first outbreak there.
The disease is a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever of the same family as Ebola. It is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is transmitted between people by direct contact with the body fluids of infected people and surfaces.
Do not infect during the incubation period
While its spread among humans requires close contact with an infected person, it does not infect humans during its incubation period.
A person becomes infected by coming into contact with the patient’s blood or other body fluids (faeces, vomit, urine, saliva, respiratory secretions) that contain the virus in high concentrations.
The ability of infected people to transmit infection increases as the disease progresses, and this ability reaches its peak during the severe disease stage.
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Close contact with severely ill patients while caring for them at home or in hospital, and some burial practices are common routes of infection.
The use of HIV-contaminated injection equipment or exposure to contaminated needles leads to more severe cases, rapid deterioration of health and an increased risk of death.
As for the incubation period, it ranges from 3 to 9 days, according to the World Health Organization.
It starts with a severe headache
In parallel, there are major symptoms for those infected with the virus, as the disease caused by the Marburg virus begins suddenly with a severe headache and severe malaise. Among its common symptoms are muscle aches and pains.
The patient usually experiences a high fever on the first day of infection, followed by gradual and rapid weakness.
On regarding the third day, the patient will have severe watery diarrhea, pain, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea can last up to a week.
It was said that the patient, at this stage, shows “ghost-like” features, deep eyes, an expressionless face, and extreme lethargy.
Many patients also show severe bleeding symptoms between the fifth and seventh day, noting that fatal cases are usually characterized by some form of bleeding from several places.
It is noted that the presence of fresh blood in vomit and stool is often accompanied by bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina.
In fatal cases, death occurs between the eighth and ninth day following the onset of symptoms and is usually preceded by shock.
There is no cure or vaccine
It is worth noting that there is no vaccine or specific treatment to combat this disease. Ecological studies are being undertaken to determine the natural reservoir of both Marburg and Ebola.
There is evidence that bats play a role, but significant efforts remain to be able to definitively determine the natural course of disease transmission.
Monkeys can also transmit infection, but it is not considered a reasonable reservoir of disease, because almost all infected animals die very quickly, leaving no room for virus survival and transmission. It is also noted that human casualties occur sporadically.
The first outbreak and the origin of the name
It is noteworthy that the disease was first detected in 1967 when it broke out in two centers located in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, the former Yugoslav Republic.
The outbreak was attributed to laboratory activities using African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) imported from Uganda.
Later, outbreaks and outbreaks were reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa (a person who was found to have traveled to Zimbabwe before being infected) and Uganda.
