Status: 02/14/2023 03:03
Nine people have died from the highly dangerous Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea. The WHO confirmed the first outbreak in the country. The government has quarantined over 4,000 people.
The World Health Organization has confirmed for the first time an outbreak of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea. Nine people have died and there are 16 other suspected cases with symptoms including fever, exhaustion, diarrhea and vomiting, the WHO said.
Health Minister Mitoha Ondo’o Ayekaba said that, in consultation with the WHO and the United Nations (UN), a “health alert” had been declared for Kié-Ntem province and neighboring Mongomo district in the northeast of the country. More than 4,000 people were quarantined.
WHO sends experts
Samples sent from Equatorial Guinea to a laboratory in Senegal last week confirmed the suspicions of a health official in the sub-Saharan country.
The nine deaths were found between January 7 and February 7, explained Minister Ondo’o Ayekaba. In addition, a “suspicious” death on February 10 is being investigated.
The WHO said it was sending professionals to Equatorial Guinea to help fight the disease. Protective equipment will also be provided for the medical staff.
“Teams have been deployed to affected districts to locate contacts,” the WHO said. People who show symptoms of the disease should be isolated and receive medical attention.
Often fatal without treatment
Like the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus is spread through close contact with infected people’s bodily fluids or surfaces such as contaminated bedding. Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal 88% of the time. Symptoms of Marburg fever include high fever and severe headache.
The rare virus was discovered in 1967 when it infected people working in laboratories in Marburg, Hesse and Belgrade. Seven people died after being infected with the virus during experiments on monkeys.
There are no approved vaccines against the virus. In a 2004 outbreak in Angola, 80 percent of 252 people infected died from the virus. In 2022, two Marburg virus deaths were reported in Ghana.