28 mars 2024

Ghana: First case of Marburg virus disease identified

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Two cases of Marburg virus disease, a haemorrhagic fever almost as deadly as Ebola, have been recorded for the first time in Ghana, health authorities announced on Sunday 17 July.

Disease almost as deadly as Ebola

This haemorrhagic fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of bats. On 8 July, blood samples from two people in the Ashanti region (south) suggested the Marburg virus and the samples were sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar (IDP) for confirmation, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said. "The additional tests carried out at the IDP corroborated the results," Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, director general of the GHS, announced in a statement on Sunday. "This is the first time Ghana has confirmed the Marburg virus," he said.

The 98 people identified as contact cases are currently in quarantine, the statement added, noting that no other Marburg cases have been detected among them. The health authorities say they are doing everything possible to "protect the health of the population", calling for the cooperation of "all" to ensure that the virus is "effectively contained".

Case-fatality rates between 24% and 88%

Marburg virus disease is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is spread in humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or with surfaces and materials, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease begins suddenly, with high fever, severe headache and eventual malaise.

WHO announced in September 2021 the end of the first Marburg virus outbreak in West Africa, 42 days after a single case was identified in Guinea. Sporadic outbreaks and cases had previously been reported elsewhere in Africa, including Angola, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Case fatality rates have ranged from 24% to 88% in these outbreaks, depending on the strain of virus and case management, according to WHO. Although there are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for the virus, oral or intravenous rehydration and treatment of specific symptoms improve survival rates.

 

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