Marburg Virus: Ghana Confirms Its First Cases
On Sunday, health authorities had disclosed that two cases of the deadly Marburg virus have been identified in Ghana, which is the first time that the Ebola-like disease has been found in the West African country.
Earlier this month, blood samples, that was taken from two people living in the southern Ashanti region, had suggested the Marburg virus.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) stated that the samples had been sent to the Pasteur Institute in Senegal (Institut Pasteur de Dakar) which had confirmed the diagnosis.
In a statement, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the GHS head, said, “This is the first time Ghana has confirmed Marburg Virus Disease.”
Currently, no treatment or vaccine exists for the Marburg virus, which is almost as deadly as Ebola. Its symptoms include a high fever as well as internal and external bleeding. The Marburg virus can spread from infected animals, including bats.
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A total of 98 people identified as contact cases are currently under quarantine, the GHS statement also said that a total of 98 people who had been identified as contact cases were currently under quarantine and made notice that no other cases of Marburg had yet been detected in Ghana.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that Guinea had confirmed a single case in an outbreak that was declared to be over in September 2021.
According to the World Health Organisation, there have been previous outbreaks and sporadic cases of Marburg in Africa that have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
The Ghanaian health authorities are advising the public that, “The public is therefore advised to avoid caves inhabited by bat colonies and to cook all meat products ‘thoroughly’ before consumption.”
It was also mentioned that anyone that was identified as having been in contact with sufferers, including medical staff, must self-isolate.
The virus hits the infected without warning with a high fever and severe headaches. WHO states that depending on the strain of the virus and case management, in previous cases, the fatality rates in confirmed cases ranged from 24 to 88 percent.
