At least 6 people have died in this rwanda after getting in touch with marburg virusHealth Minister Sabine Nsanzimana said.
Most of those who died from the virus were medical professionals working in hospital intensive care units.
Since then outbreak A total of twenty cases have been identified, officially announced on Friday. Marburg virus, which belongs to the same family EbolaKnown for its high mortality rate, which reaches 88%. This virus spreads among humans fruit bats And is later spread through contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, the BBC reported.
What is Marburg virus?
Marburg virus disease, a highly dangerous disease, can take a serious form hemorrhagic fever And its mortality rate can reach 88%. It belongs to the same viral family as the Ebola virus disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease was first identified in 1967 when two significant outbreaks occurred simultaneously in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia.
These outbreaks were linked to laboratory activities involving African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) that were imported from Uganda. Since then, outbreaks and isolated cases have been documented in various countries, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa (in a person with a recent travel history to Zimbabwe), and Uganda. In 2008, two isolated cases were identified in travelers who visited a cave in Uganda containing colonies of Roussettus bats.
Initial human infection with Marburg virus disease results from prolonged exposure to mines or caves where Rousettus bat colonies reside. Once a person is infected with the virus, it can spread from human to human through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. This transmission can occur “through broken skin or mucous membranes”. The virus can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces and materials, such as bedding and clothing, that have come in contact with these bodily fluids.
what are the symptoms?
Marburg virus disease has a sudden onset, characterized by high fever, severe headache, and severe malaise. Patients often experience muscle pain and discomfort. By the third day, severe watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Diarrhea may last up to a week. At this stage, patients are described as displaying “ghost-like” painted features, dark eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy. A non-itchy rash may appear between 2 and 7 days after the initial symptoms.
Within a week, many patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms, and fatal cases usually involve bleeding from multiple sites. Fresh blood in vomit and stool often coincides with bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina. Spontaneous bleeding at venepuncture sites (where intravenous access is gained to deliver fluids or obtain blood samples) can be particularly problematic.
During the acute phase, patients continue to have high fever. The central nervous system may be affected, leading to confusion, irritability, and aggression. In some cases, orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) has been reported in the late stage (15 days).
In cases where death occurs, it usually occurs between 8 and 9 days after the onset of symptoms, often preceded by severe blood loss and shock.
What are the treatments?
Treatment of Marburg virus disease (MVD) primarily consists of supportive care, including giving oral or intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and addressing specific symptoms to improve the patient’s chances of survival. Although there are currently no proven treatments for MVD, various potential treatments, such as blood products, immune therapy, and drug therapy, are currently under evaluation.
Diagnosing MVD can be challenging, as its symptoms resemble those of other infectious diseases, including malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, meningitis, and other viral hemorrhagic fevers. To confirm that symptoms are caused by Marburg virus infection, the following diagnostic methods are employed: “antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); antigen detection test; serum neutralization test; reverse-transcriptase polymerase Virus isolation by chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay; and cell culture.”
Because of the extreme biorisk arising from specimens collected from patients, laboratory testing on non-inactivated specimens should be performed under maximum biocontainment conditions. When transporting biological samples nationally and internationally, it is essential to use a triple packaging system to ensure safety.
