Marburg Virus: Everything You Need To Know About The Deadly Virus

Trans Nzoia County is reported to be ground zero in Kenya for the deadly Marburg virus.

This is after health officials in the region issued an alert of a suspected Marburg virus case after a herbalist contracted the disease from a Ugandan citizen who visited in search of a cure.

The herbalist, Ms Fridah Etyang’, at Bwayi village, Kaisagat location, in Kwanza Constituency, is suspected to have contracted the Ebola-like disease and has been put under medical observation.

Read Also: Zika Can Be Passed On Through Sex, Mosquito Bites

Health officials have also taken samples to the Kenya Medical Research Institute for testing as investigations continue.

County Director of preventive and promotive health services Gilbert Sowon said: “This is not Ebola but we suspect Marburg, which has symptoms like Ebola.”

Mr. Sowon further asked Kenyans to be calm as samples were being examined to ascertain the nature of the disease.

Marburg Virus Origin

The disease gets its name from the town of Marburg, Germany where it was first reported in 1967.

The outbreak was associated with laboratory work using African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) imported from Uganda. Subsequently, outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, and Uganda.

According to the World Health Organisation, Marburg virus is a severe and highly fatal disease caused by a virus from the same family as the Ebola virus; Filoviridae family.

The Marburg virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans, a reason why the virus was also known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever. It has a fatality ratio of up to 88%.

Symptoms

With the Marburg virus being among the most virulent pathogens known, its incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) varies from 2 to 21 days.

The illness begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache, and severe malaise. Muscle aches and pains are also a common feature. Other symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramping, nausea and vomiting.

The appearance of patients has been described as showing “ghost-like” drawn features with deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy.

During the severe phase of illness, patients have sustained high fevers. Involvement of the central nervous system can result in confusion, irritability, and aggression. Orchitis (inflammation of one or both testicles) has been reported occasionally in the late phase of the disease.

In fatal cases, death occurs most often between 8 and 9 days after symptom onset, usually preceded by severe blood loss and shock.

Transmission

Marburg spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, sex, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

Monkeys and fruit bats are the main sources of the disease.

Read Also: Smart Condom: Contraceptive That Tracks Sexual Performance And Detects Diseases

People remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus. Marburg virus transmission via infected semen has been documented up to seven weeks after clinical recovery.

Treatment and vaccines

There is as yet no proven treatment available for the Marburg virus.

Supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival.

There are, however, a range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies, and drug therapies that are currently being evaluated.

Prevention and Control

All the processes involved in the prevention and control of Ebola is the same taken when controlling Marburg.

Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, such as case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe and dignified burials, and social mobilization.

Community engagement is also key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Raising awareness of risk factors and protective measures that can reduce human transmission.