Equatorial Guinea today confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease. Preliminary tests carried out following the deaths of at least nine people in the country’s eastern Kie Ntem Province turned out positive on one of the samples for the viral haemorrhagic fever.*
Equatorial Guinean health authorities sent samples to the Institut Pasteur reference laboratory in Senegal with support from World Health Organization (WHO) to determine the cause of the disease after an alert by a district health official on 7 February. Of the eight samples tested at Institut Pasteur, one turned out positive for the virus. So far nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea have been reported.
Further investigations are ongoing. Advance teams have been deployed in the affected districts to trace contacts, isolate and provide medical care to people showing symptoms of the disease. Efforts are also underway to rapidly mount emergency response, with WHO deploying health emergency experts in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention, laboratory and risk communication to support the national response efforts and secure community collaboration in the outbreak control.
WHO is also facilitating the shipment of laboratory glove tents for sample testing as well as one viral haemorrhagic fever kit that includes personal protective equipment that can be used by 500 health workers.
“Marburg is highly infectious. Thanks to the rapid and decisive action by the Equatorial Guinean authorities in confirming the disease, emergency response can get to full steam quickly so that we save lives and halt the virus as soon as possible,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%. It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.
A further 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea have been reported.
It's the first time the Central African country has seen a Marburg virus outbreak.
In neighbouring Cameroon, two 16-year-olds were suspected to have contracted the virus, although these cases have not been confirmed by the WHO.
Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise, according to the WHO.
Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting can begin on the third day.
Within a week, many patients develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms, which could include bleeding under the skin, in internal organs, or from orifices such as the mouth, eyes or ears.
In fatal cases, death normally occurs on day eight or nine.
How deadly is it?
Very.
According to the WHO, the average fatality rate is around 50% but as many as 88% of infected patients can die depending on the strain and infection management.
How does it spread?
The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats.
It spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids, such as bedding.
The virus can also be spread through contaminated injection equipment, and this is associated with more severe disease.
People remain infectious as long as their blood contains the virus and burial ceremonies that involve direct contact with the body can also result in infection.
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