1st outbreak confirmed in Equatorial Guinea

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FILE – Colorized scanning electron micrograph of Marburg virus particles (yellow) budding and attached to the surface of infected VERO E6 cells (blue). (IMAGE POINT FR/NIH/NIAID/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Two suspected cases from Marburg virus have been reported in Cameroon in addition to the outbreak in neighboring Equatorial Guinea, according to multiple reports.

THE The World Health Organization has officially declared The very first outbreak of Marburg disease in Equatorial Guinea on February 13. Preliminary tests carried out following the deaths of at least nine people in the country have tested positive on one of the samples for the virus.

The United Nations health agency confirmed the outbreak after samples from Equatorial Guinea were sent to a laboratory in Senegal to identify the cause of the illness after an alert from a local health official last week.

The WHO said there are currently 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting. The agency said it was sending medical experts to help Equatorial Guinea officials halt the outbreak and was also sending protective gear for hundreds of workers.

Cameroonian authorities have started restricting movement along the Equatorial Guinea border to prevent further spread, according to a Reuters report.

Two 16-year-olds, a male and a female, have been identified as suspected cases and the couple have confirmed that they have not traveled outside the country.

So far, 42 people have been identified as close contacts of the two teenagers and contact tracing is ongoing, Reuters reported.

What is the Marburg virus?

FILE – A fruit bat captured by CDC scientists Brian Amman and Jonathan Towner in Queen Elizabeth National Park on August 25, 2018. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Marburg virus is an RNA virus of animal origin from the filovirus family. The six species of Ebola virus are also known members of the filovirus family, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And like Ebola, the Marburg virus comes from bats – the African fruit bat, to be more precise.

Marburg virus is a rare but serious hemorrhagic fever that can infect both humans and nonhuman primates, according to the CDC.

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after causing simultaneous outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people have died after being exposed to the virus during research on monkeys.

During an outbreak in Angola in 2004, Marburg killed 90% of the 252 people infected. In 2022, two Marburg deaths were reported in Ghana.

Is the Marburg virus deadly?

If left untreated, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people.

There are no licensed vaccines or medications to treat Marburg, but rehydration therapy to relieve symptoms can improve chances of survival.

How does Marburg spread?

The disease can spread between people through close contact with infected people’s bodily fluids or surfaces, such as contaminated bed sheets.

The virus can also be spread through semen, even after a person has recovered.

“Data on the Marburg virus are limited; however, it is known to persist in the testicles and inside the eye, like Ebola viruses,” according to the CDC.

Marburg virus symptoms

Marburg virus typically has an incubation period of between 2 and 21 days, according to the CDC.

Symptoms usually come on suddenly and are marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia.

Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a rash consisting of flat, raised skin lesions may appear on the chest, back, and stomach.

These symptoms could be followed by nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

As the disease progresses, symptoms may worsen, including jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive bleeding, and dysfunction of the several organs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.