Two people in Ghana have died from the Marburg virus – and 98 have been quarantined, raising fears of a mass outbreak of this highly infectious disease, which causes fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and, in many cases, death through extreme blood loss.
The disease is a cousin of the equally deadly Ebola virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Marburg virus, was first identified after 31 people were infected and seven died in simultaneous outbreaks in 1967.
And among humans, it is spread mostly by people who have spent long periods in caves and mines populated by bats. An outbreak in Angola killed more than 300 people in 2005. But in Europe, only one person has died in the past 40 years – and one in the US, after returning from expeditions to caves in Uganda. The virus begins abruptly with, a fever, severe headache, and muscle pains, among other symptoms
The World Health Organization says the appearance of patients at this phase has been described as showing ‘ghost-like’ drawn features, deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy. Among humans, it spreads through bodily fluids and bedding contaminated with them. There is no specific vaccine or treatment for the virus. But a range of blood products, drugs, and immune therapies are being developed, the WHO says.
