Guinea health specialist confirms West Africa’s first Marburg virus case
By Bisola Adeyemo
The first case of Marburg virus disease was confirmed in Guinea town in West Africa by the health practitioners.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the infectious disease that’s in the same family as the Ebola virus needed to be “stopped in its tracks”.
Marburg virus disease is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.
It’s a severe, often fatal illness that causes fever and bleeding disorders.
Samples taken from the patient in Guinea, who has since died, were tested in the country’s laboratories, and returned a positive result for the Marburg virus.
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, from the WHO, said the virus had the potential to spread far and wide, BBC reports.
Efforts are now underway to find people who may have been in contact with the man, he said.
The systems in place in Guinea and neighbouring countries to control recent Ebola outbreaks are being taken up again in response to the Marburg virus.
