Marburg virus: Symptoms, fatality rate and other details about the infectious disease

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana has reported two suspected cases of the Marburg virus disease.

The government agency mentioned that the preliminary analysis of samples taken from two patients living in Ghana’s southern Ashanti region tested positive.

Both the patients are now dead and the samples taken have been sent to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar research centre in Senegal to get confirmation on this matter.

Ghana Health Service released a statement speaking about the spread of the virus. It read, "No new cases have been reported since the two samples were taken two weeks ago”.

The authorities have identified another 34 people who came in contact with the patients. They have been kept in quarantine.

In case the two samples come out positive, it would be the first case of Marburg in Ghana.

Here’s everything about the Marburg virus disease

What is Marburg virus disease?

The Marburg virus disease is a very infectious hemorrhagic that belongs to the same family as Ebola. It spreads to humans via fruit bats.

The infectious virus gets transmitted among people via direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people and surfaces.

The virus has an incubation period of two to 21 days.

The virus has been previously reported in Angola, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Uganda.

Symptoms of Marburg

Some common symptoms of the Marburg disease include -

• High fever
• Severe headache
• Severe malaise along with muscle aches

Some other symptoms that may be spotted on day three of contracting the virus are

• Severe watery diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Nausea and vomiting

Cases that led to fatalities also reported having symptoms like bleeding from multiple areas including nose, gums and vagina.

Fatality rate of the Marburg disease

The Marburg virus disease is known to be very harmful and deadly. Past outbreaks have shown case fatality rates to range from 24% to 88%.

Cure of the Marburg virus disease

There is no cure to the deadly virus. Doctors claim that rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids can ease patient’s suffering with symptoms.

In 2021, the WHO mentioned that it can be difficult to clinically distinguish the Marburg virus disease from other infectious diseases, including typhoid fever, malaria, shigellosis and meningitis.