Marburg Virus Disease

Marburg Virus Disease Latest News

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently confirmed a case of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Uganda.

About Marburg Virus Disease 

• MVD, formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness caused by the Marburg virus.
• The Marburg virus is a zoonotic virus that belongs to the Filoviridae family (filovirus), the same group of viruses that includes Ebola.  
• It is a rare disease that occurs in humans and non-human primates (chimpanzees, gorillas, and monkeys).  
• It is named for the German city where scientists became ill with the disease’s first known cases in 1967 while handling monkeys imported from Africa.
• The Marburg virus is most commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa.  

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Marburg Virus Disease Transmission

• The Marburg virus is naturally carried by Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus), which serve as its primary reservoir.
• People usually become infected after prolonged exposure to bat-inhabited caves or mines.
• Once a human is infected, the virus spreads through direct contact with the blood, saliva, vomit, urine, faeces, and other bodily fluids of an infected person. 
• It can also spread through contaminated objects such as bedding, clothing or medical equipment that have come into contact with infected bodily fluids.
• Unlike some respiratory viruses, Marburg is not airborne and does not spread through casual contact. 
• Transmission requires direct exposure to infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials.

Marburg Virus Disease Symptoms

• People with Marburg usually start getting sick 2-21 days after they are infected with the virus. 
• Initial symptoms include:
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Rash with both flat and raised bumps, often on the torso
  • Chest pain
  • Sore throat
  • Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• As the disease advances, symptoms can become more severe, including liver failure, delirium, shock, bleeding (hemorrhaging), and multi-organ dysfunction.
• In severe cases, death generally occurs between eight and nine days after the onset of symptoms, primarily due to massive blood loss, multi-organ failure, and circulatory shock. 
• The average MVD case fatality rate is around 50%. Case fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks.

Marburg Virus Disease Treatment

• There is no vaccine or specific treatment for MVD.
• Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting patients through the course of the disease.
• Patients are typically hospitalized and treated with intravenous fluids and electrolytes to maintain hydration and pain relief medication.

News: N18