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The World Well being Group (WHO) is sounding the alarm over a brand new virus outbreak after two circumstances of the Marburg virus illness have been reported in Ghana, marking the primary time the lethal Ebola-like virus has been discovered within the west-African nation and solely the second time it has been seen within the area.
In an article revealed on Sunday, the WHO says that blood samples taken from two individuals final month within the southern Ashanti area of Ghana recommend that they each had the Marburg virus.
Each of the sufferers had signs similar to diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, and died inside a day of being admitted to hospital in late June. One of many sufferers was 26 years previous, the opposite 51.
Now, greater than 90 contacts of the 2 sufferers have been recognized and are being monitored by each the WHO and regional well being authorities. The worldwide well being company says it’s also aiding Ghana by offering protecting gear, bolstering illness surveillance, testing, tracing contacts and rising public consciousness of the dangers and risks of the illness.
“Well being authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head begin making ready for a doable outbreak. That is good as a result of with out rapid and decisive motion, Marburg can simply get out of hand. WHO is on the bottom supporting well being authorities and now that the outbreak is said, we’re marshaling extra assets for the response,” stated Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The Marburg virus is described by the WHO as a extremely infectious viral haemorrhagic fever much like the well-known Ebola virus illness. The illness will be transmitted to individuals from contaminated animals similar to fruit bats and spreads amongst people by means of direct contact with the bodily fluids of contaminated individuals, surfaces and supplies.
The onset of the sickness is alleged to be sudden, with excessive fever, extreme headache and malaise. It’s additionally famous that many sufferers develop extreme inner or exterior bleeding inside seven days of being contaminated.
“The general public is due to this fact suggested to keep away from caves inhabited by bat colonies and to cook dinner all meat merchandise totally earlier than consumption,” Ghanaian well being authorities suggested.
Whereas case fatality charges have assorted from 24% to 88% in previous outbreaks, relying on the pressure of the virus, there are nonetheless no accepted vaccine or antiviral remedies for the illness. Medical doctors could solely use supportive care similar to rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and remedy of particular signs to enhance survival of sufferers.
The primary outbreak of the Marburg virus ever reported was in Germany in 1967. Since then, outbreaks and sporadic circumstances of the illness have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, in keeping with the WHO.
The deadliest outbreak to date has been in Angola in 2005, the place over 200 individuals died from the illness.
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