What is Marburg Virus Disease? Details you should know about this deadly virus
Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes the Ebola virus disease. The disease has just been detected in Ghana but it is highly contagious. Considering how quickly the diseases spread in today’s connected world, this highly fatal disease has already caught international attention. Let’s dive right in and learn more about this disease.
What is Marburg Virus Disease?
Marburg is as deadly as Ebola and so far, no treatment or vaccine has been found to treat/cure/prevent the disease. The Ebola outbreaks were reported in many African countries in the past, including Kenya, Congo, Angola, South Africa, and Uganda. These outbreaks led to a large number of deaths with most of them taking place in southern and eastern Africa. Since Marburg is being considered as fatal as Ebola, we might see international efforts to contain the disease at its first outbreak in Ghana.
How Is It Transmitted?
Marburg virus disease can spread through direct contact with the blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids. The virus is transmitted through fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus bats), human-to-human transmission via direct contact – through broken skin or mucous membranes, blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.
Symptoms of MVD
Symptoms of MVD are as follows:
- High fever
- severe headache
- muscle pain
- abdominal pain
- cramping
- Nausea
- vomiting
- Diarrhoea
According to the WHO, the appearance of patients at this phase has been described as showing “ghost-like” drawn features, deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy. In fatal cases, death usually occurs between 8 and 9 days after onset, usually preceded by severe blood loss and shock.
Diagnosis and Treatment
There are various methods to confirm the presence of the Marburg virus:
- antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- antigen detection tests
- serum neutralization tests
- reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
- virus isolation by cell culture.
There is no specific treatment for Marburg Virus Disease yet. However, a range of potential treatments includes immune and drug therapies, and blood products.
Marburg is a rare but serious disease. While Marburg might be too far away from us, do follow the hand hygiene and wear masks in public places, especially closed ones like elevators. Remember that the Covid-19 threat isn’t over yet. Don’t forget to check out our other short stories in our Quick Read section