Ghana: Two confirmed cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever, an Ebola-like disease.

In Ghana, a state of alert was declared after two suspected cases of the Marburg virus, a deadly haemorrhagic fever like the Ebola virus, were discovered in early July. In a statement issued on Sunday 17 July 2022, the Ghanaian authorities said that the results of the samples sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar for further examination were all positive.

It is now official. Ghana has recorded its first two confirmed cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever. The health authorities announced this on Sunday 17 July 2022 in a press release. The Marburg virus is actually similar to the Ebola virus in that it has the same symptoms and is also almost lethal. Marburg virus disease is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is spread in humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or with surfaces and materials, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Genesis of the two confirmed cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever.

The two patients were admitted to a district hospital in the Ashanti region of southern Ghana. Each of them had symptoms of fever, body aches, diarrhoea and blood in the stool. Less worrying clinical signs at first. The treating doctors had even attributed it to acute gastroenteritis. But the alarm bells went off when the first patient died, followed 48 hours later by the second.

63 contact cases recorded, including 1 with symptoms but tested negative.

Franklin Asiedu Bekoe is the Director of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service. He took part in a World Health Organisation (WHO) web conference where he gave an update on the health situation. From what he said, it is clear that for the In two cases, 63 contacts are identified and only one showed symptoms such as fever, bleeding in the stool. These findings led to samples being sent to the laboratory and found to be negative. The Director of Public Health of Ghana’s Health Serviceat the end of the virtual meeting with WHO, reassured of the measures taken to contain any spread of the virus Marburg and prevent the epidemic from spreading.

The confirmed cases of Marburg haemorrhagic fever in Ghana are the second detection in West Africa after Guinea in 2021. It should be noted that in both countries, no contact cases are reported positive. Nevertheless, WHO is concerned about this virus which, like Ebola, is a highly contagious disease.