A man in Guinea died on August 9 after being infected with Marburg, a virus that causes internal bleeding and organ failure.
Guinean health officials have tried to trace all people who may have come into contact with the victim, including those who visited and treated at the medical facility in the town of Gueckedou, near the border of Liberia and Sierra Leone.
`The risk of widespread spread of the Marburg virus means we need to stop it in the right direction. We are working with health authorities to respond quickly based on Guinea’s experience in controlling Ebola, the infectious disease
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Marburg virus was first recorded in 1967, after scientists worked in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt Germany, as well as in Belgrade, Serbia.
Members of the Guinea Red Cross spray disinfectant and transfer the body of a person who died of Ebola in the capital Conakry in March 2015.
Past outbreaks have occurred in places across Africa such as Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
The disease caused by the Marburg virus was formerly known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a severe and often fatal disease in humans.
The incubation period of Marburg virus ranges from 2 to 21 days.
Because many of the symptoms of Marburg virus disease resemble many other infectious diseases such as malaria or typhoid fever, diagnosing the disease is difficult.
The mortality rate from Marburg virus has been as high as 88% in previous outbreaks, but WHO says the rate will vary depending on the strain and treatment.
Marburg outbreaks begin when an animal becomes infected with the virus, such as a monkey or fruit bat, and then transmits it to humans.
Medical experts say that the disease caused by the Marburg virus currently has no treatment or designated vaccine.
Experts note that medical staff must ensure they follow precautions to prevent contact with patients’ blood and body fluids as well as surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus.
Guinea’s battle with the Marburg virus begins as the country of nearly 13 million people grapples with a third wave of Covid-19.
Guinea has reported 27,311 cases and 266 deaths from Covid-19, with an average of 150 new infections per day.
