Marburg virus: what you need to know about the outbreak

The deadly Marburg virus has been detected in Equatorial Guinea and neighboring Cameroon, and the World Health Organization is sending teams to track the spread of the disease.

Two cases of suspected Marburg disease have been identified in Cameroon. It comes days after an outbreak was confirmed in neighboring Equatorial Guinea – the country’s first such outbreak – after a recently deceased person tested positive for the disease. This is the first outbreak of the highly contagious virus since June 2022, when Ghanaian health officials identified three cases.

Officials suspect at least eight more people in Equatorial Guinea have died from the virus. Another 16 people are likely to have the condition after showing symptoms, including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomiting, and another 21 people who came into contact with them are isolated at home, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization (WHO). emergency meeting on February 14th.

“Thanks to the fast and decisive action by the authorities in Equatorial Guinea to confirm the disease, the emergency response can quickly turn to full capacity so that we can save lives and stop the spread of the virus as soon as possible,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. , during the meeting.

WHO is working with the government of Equatorial Guinea to respond to the outbreak and has deployed experts in epidemiology, clinical care and disease prevention to the country. It is also helping officials in Cameroon and Gabon prepare to quickly identify, isolate and care for people at risk of contracting Marburg virus.

About 50 percent of people with Marburg virus die from the disease, although the death rate can range from 24 percent to 88 percent depending on the strain of the virus. The Marburg virus belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola and causes similar symptoms such as extreme fatigue, headache and bleeding. Serious bleeding usually occurs within a week of onset, with blood often appearing in vomit and diarrhea. Bleeding from the nose, gums, and vagina is also common.

Outbreaks tend to start when someone becomes infected with the virus through prolonged contact with fruit bats, usually in caves or mines. It then spreads from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces – it is not airborne.

“People at greatest risk include family members and hospital staff who care for patients infected with the Marburg virus,” says Harish Moorjani of Northwell Health in New York. The risk of the virus spreading to countries outside of Africa, such as the US and the UK, is extremely low, he said.

There is no vaccine or approved treatment for Marburg virus, although staying hydrated by drinking or giving intravenous fluids improves survival. The WHO meeting discussed potential vaccine candidates, and three drug developers said they might be able to produce enough doses to test vaccines in the current outbreak. WHO and Equatorial Guinea officials are also discussing the possibility of testing experimental therapeutics in the region.

“Any decision on judicial [Marburg virus] vaccines and therapeutics will be produced by national authorities and researchers in Equatorial Guinea,” Ghebreyesus said. “In the meantime, WHO is convening a vaccine prioritization committee to determine which vaccine candidates should be evaluated first and taking steps to prepare for possible trials.”

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