Guinea identified the first case of the Marburg virus disease on August 9. This is the first time it has happened in West Africa.
Marburg virus disease is a very virulent hemorrhagic fever that is dangerous to humans. Its fatality rate is around 50%. In recent epidemics, it has fluctuated between 24% and 88% depending on the virus strain and the epidemic response.
This disease was first discovered in Marburg, Germany in the 1960s. Researchers suddenly fell ill while working on a vaccine made from monkey cells. The first cases of Marburg virus disease are considered.
Marburg virus disease is quite difficult to identify, as the symptoms are similar to those of other tropical diseases, such as Ebola or malaria.
The disease breaks out very suddenly with a high fever. The patient may also have severe headaches and sometimes discomfort.
Marburg virus disease is believed to originate initially in bats. They then passed it on to humans.
Contamination of another human being by an infected person occurs through bodily fluids such as blood, semen, or urine.
So far, cases of Marburg virus disease are mainly present in Africa. Outbreaks have been reported in South Africa, Kenya or Uganda, but this is the first time the virus has been detected in West Africa.
At this time, there is no treatment or vaccine against Marburg virus disease. Infected people heal themselves by hydrating heavily and treating specific symptoms.
Therefore, the appearance of this disease in Guinea should not be taken lightly. Teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) have already been dispatched there. They believe the risk of global spread is low. On the contrary, the virus could circulate regionally, as the borders of Liberia and Sierra Leone are close.