Marburg virus

Context

• Recently, West Africa’s first case of the Marburg virus was confirmed
• in Guinea.

About

• Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever.
• It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease.
• The virus was initially detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and & Frankfurt in Germany; and in Belgrade, Serbia.
• The common symptoms of a virus are fever, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain and gingival haemorrhage.
• Marburg is transmitted to people from fruit bats. 
• The virus spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of the patient, surfaces and materials
• The case fatality rate is around 50%.
• There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for the virus yet. 
• Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival rates.