Ghana Confirms First Outbreak of Marburg Virus
Ghana Confirms First Outbreak of Marburg Virus
Ghana Confirms First Outbreak , of Marburg Virus.
CNN reports that on July 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the West African country has confirmed two cases of the deadly disease.
Two patients from the southern Ashanti region who tested positive for the virus have died.
Their symptoms included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever.
According to the WHO, over 90 contacts are currently being monitored.
Marburg is in the same family as the Ebola virus, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%.
It is transmitted to people from fruit bats, at which point human-to-human transmission is possible via contact with bodily fluids.
The WHO said containment measures are already underway because "without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand.".
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for the virus.
CNN reports that previous Marburg outbreaks have occurred in Guinea, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
The 2005 Angola outbreak resulted in over 200 people dying