Status: 03/23/2023 5:37 p.m
Outbreak of Ebola-related Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea widens. Cases have occurred far apart, several people have already died. The WHO is sending more experts to the region.
The deadly Marburg virus, related to the Ebola virus, continues to spread in Equatorial Guinea. In the Central African country, cases have now been registered 150 kilometers apart, which indicates a greater spread, said the World Health Organization (WHO).
Of nine laboratory-confirmed patients, seven have died so far. There are also 20 other dead who were probably also infected. In order to avoid a large-scale epidemic, “intensified countermeasures” are urgently needed, according to the WHO.
Many sick people die
The Marburg virus triggers a life-threatening fever with symptoms such as cramps, bloody vomiting and diarrhea. It is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people or through surfaces such as contaminated bed sheets. Depending on the treatment options, up to 88 percent of those infected die.
The virus got its name because it was identified in 1967 during an outbreak in Marburg, Hesse. Laboratory employees also became infected with infected test monkeys. The virus probably originated in flying foxes, which are related to bats.
Possible vaccines are to be tested
According to the WHO, there are no approved vaccines or drugs yet. However, vaccine candidates have been developed to be tested in the recent outbreak. According to the WHO, only the approval of the local governments is required to start the tests.
WHO wants to send more experts
Because of the outbreak in Central Africa, the WHO classifies the risk for the region with the neighboring countries Gabon and Cameroon as medium and for Equatorial Guinea as high. The approximately 1.5 million inhabitants are among the poorest in the world. The WHO now wants to send additional experts such as epidemiologists and health workers to the region – also to prepare Gabon and Cameroon for a possible outbreak and to be able to contain it.
An outbreak was also reported in East African Tanzania on Tuesday, where according to the authorities five people had died by then.