The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that at least nine people in Southern Ethiopia have been infected with the deadly Marburg virus. Considered very similar to the Ebola, it has been dubbed as the ‘Ebola cousin’. The East African outbreak is said to be highly contagious as efforts to contain it are underway.
WHO shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the body is “actively supporting Ethiopia to contain the outbreak and treat infected people, and supporting all efforts to address the potential of cross-border spread.”
What is Marburg virus?
Marburg virus disease is a severe fever-causing illness that can spread from person to person through direct contact. It is attributed to infected bodily fluids like blood, saliva, or urine. It can even be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces.
The Marburg virus shares close links with the Ebola virus family. First discovered in 1967, the disease was detected after lab workers in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade, Serbia, fell ill. The virus, which can jump to humans through contact with infected wild animals, was named after Marburg, the German city where the first known outbreak took place.
Marburg virus: Symptoms
As per the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention, initial symptoms of the Marburg virus include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches. Others reported signs include chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. In the worst cases, severe blood loss and multi-organ failure may also occur. The WHO warned that patients who contracted the virus would develop a non-itchy rash 2-7 days after the onset.
As per past trends, deaths typically occur between eight and nine days after the onset of the virus. It is preceded by intense blood loss and shock. The Marburg virus’ fatality rate if roughly 50 per cent. For now, there are no vaccines or anti-viral treatments that exist to treat Marburg symptoms.
The Marburg has been previously reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, according to the WHO. The virus was likely to have jumped from bats to humans and can recur multiple times, even after the outbreak has been contained.
