This Monday, February 13, 2023, an epidemic of this hemorrhagic fever close to Ebola was confirmed in Equatorial Guinea. In the wake of the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an emergency meeting. Why is the situation worrying? Explanations.
It is one of the four most dangerous viruses in the world. Along with Ebola, Lassa and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, the Marburg virus is one of the most virulent and deadly.
The alert was given on February 7 in Equatorial Guinea near the border with Cameroon and Gabon.
Several people have triggered symptoms, aat least 16 cases and at least 9 deaths were reported within a month. Very quickly, samples were taken and analyzed at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar and showed that it was the terrible vwould go from Marburg.
A highly virulent, highly contagious and deadly disease
Marburg virus disease is a disease very virulent which causes a hemorrhagic fever, with a case fatality rate of up to 88%. It belongs to the same family as the virus responsible for the disease vEbola would go.
The virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spread among humans through direct contact with bodily fluids infected people, surfaces and materials.
Symptoms
Initially, the symptoms are large headaches and eye sensitivityfollowed by a fever and diarrhea with abdominal pain, then vomiting occurs. The appearance of the sick is described as ghostly with extreme lethargy and extremely sunken face. For white-skinned people, there is a spotty rash on the body from the face to the chest. Then there are seizures and aggression that show brain damage.
The patient will usually die of haemorrhage 8 to 9 days following the first symptoms appear.
Emergency meeting and containment
After confirmation of Ia “first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease”the World Health Organization, theWHO called an emergency meeting pour define proposed research priorities regarding the newly identified Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea.
A health alert was declared and a confinement was decided in the province of Kie-Ntem and in the district of Mongomo for limit the spread of the epidemic.
Result: more than 4,325 people have been placed in quarantine.
Treatment
To date, there is no no treatment or vaccine to cure this disease. But the fact of treating the symptoms can make it possible to accentuate the hope of survival like rehydration or paracetamol to bring down the fever.
But a proper treatment is not yet available. Although many are in clinical trials.
An experimental vaccine
An effective vaccine is urgently needed. American researchers have developed a serum very promising. The results of their work were published on December 14, 2022 in Science.
Indeed, this experimental vaccine in a single dosecalled ChAd3-MARV confers a fast and lasting protection once morest Marburg virus in chimpanzees.
In one week the protection was demonstrated and the immunity was still active one year following the injection c once morest the deadly Marburg virus infection.
A good medical advance to see the forthcoming creation of a vaccine for humans.
