Equatorial Guinea announced on Monday 13 February the presence of the Marburg virus epidemic in the country. This follows preliminary tests on the bodies of at least nine people in the western province of Kie Ntem. The tests were positive for viral haemorrhagic fever.
The Equatorial Guinean authorities announced on Monday that nine people died in the east of the country between 7 January and 7 February from the Marburg virus disease. According to the WHO, this is the “first ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease” in this small African country in the centre-west of the continent. Apart from these deaths, 16 suspected cases with symptoms such as fever, fatigue, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea have been reported, the World Health Organisation adds.
Thus, the country has declared a “health alert” in the province of Kie-Ntem and in the district of Mongomo. The authorities then put in place a containment plan in close collaboration with the WHO to deal with the outbreak.
This virus, from the same family as Ebola, starts suddenly, with a high fever, severe headache and intense malaise. It is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality rate of up to 88%. The virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is spread among humans through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.
There is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for the virus. However, supportive care – oral or intravenous rehydration – and treatment of specific symptoms increase the chances of survival. A range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drugs, as well as candidate vaccines with phase 1 data are being evaluated, the WHO says.
