What is Marburg virus? Find out its symptoms, mode of transmission, fatality rate

Ghana has confirmed two cases of highly infectious Marburg virus. The health ministry of the African nation passed informed that 98 identified contacts have been quarantined and are under a monitor.

Institut Pasteur Dakar, Senegal, confirmed the samples after many samples came in earlier in the month. The WHO stated that they picked the samples from two unrelated deceased patients from the southern part of the Ashanti region who showed disease symptoms.

Marburg virus symptoms

The symptoms of this disease include fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, and nausea. The first case was a 26-year-old male who passed away on June 27 after he had checked into a hospital a day before. The second case was a 51-year-old man who passed away on June 28 after checking into the hospital the same day. Interestingly, both the patients sought treatment in the same hospital.

The Ebola connection
Marburg disease is severe and a rare hemorrhagic fever that is Ebola-related. It was first discovered and recognised in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and Germany in 1967. It had resulted in 31 infections, which led to seven deaths. This data is according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How does it attack us?
Mayo Clinic states that the virus transfers from infected host animals onto humans through wastes like faeces and blood. The infected animals can be fruit bats, monkeys and chimps.

And it spreads when...
It spreads amongst people through bodily fluids after the first transmission. Last fall, Guinea confirmed one case, and it lasted for five weeks. It is only the second time, Marburg has been detected in West Africa.

High fatality rate
Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Africa and Angola have seen Marburg outbreaks previously. The virus' fatality rate stands anywhere between 24 per cent to 88 per cent, according to the WHO.