What is the Marburg Virus Disease?

About Marburg Virus Disease (MVD):

• Definition: MVD is a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus, with no approved vaccines or treatments currently available.
• History and Origin: First identified in 1967 in the German city of Marburg. Named after an outbreak linked to laboratory workers exposed to infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.
• Geographical spread: Most outbreaks have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, including countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
• Transmission: Initially transmitted from fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) to humans. Spread occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.
• Symptoms:
  • Early signs: High fever, severe headache, and malaise.
  • Advanced stage: Severe bleeding, liver failure, multi-organ dysfunction, shock, and death within 8-9 days of symptom onset.
• Fatality rate: The average case fatality rate is approximately 50%, varying from 24% to 88% depending on the virus strain and case management.
• Diagnosis: Confirmed through RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests and virus isolation procedures that require maximum biohazard containment.
• Treatment: No specific treatment exists. Supportive care includes rehydration, electrolyte replacement, and symptom management, improving survival chances.
• Vaccine development: Promising vaccines, such as the Sabin Vaccine Institute’s single-dose vaccine, are under Phase 2 trials in Uganda and Kenya. Rwanda also received investigational vaccines to support outbreak control.

Key Facts About Rwanda:

• Geography: A landlocked country in East-Central Africa, referred to as the "Land of a Thousand Hills".
  • Borders: Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Rivers: The Nile and Congo rivers flow through Rwanda.
• Capital City: Kigali.

Q1). What are the components of a virus?

A virus contains genetic material (DNA or RNA) inside a protein coat called the capsid. Some viruses have an outer envelope made of lipids and proteins.

Q2). How are viruses classified based on structure?

Based on structure, viruses are classified as helical, icosahedral, enveloped, and complex. Helical viruses have spiral capsids, and icosahedral has polygonal capsids.

Source: DTE