Is the Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea the next pandemic?
WHO is investigating a Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea; sending experts, providing resources, and establishing local lab facilities to identify the source and control the spread.
WHO is investigating a Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea; sending experts, providing resources, and establishing local lab facilities to identify the source and control the spread.
O n 7 February 2023, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Equatorial Guinea reported that eight people had died in two villages in the Kie-Ntem district.
Symptoms included fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and skin lesions. Samples were sent to the Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF) and Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, for testing. On 10 February, a case tested positive for Marburg virus in Dakar. As of 21 February, nine cases have occurred, with all deaths occurring either in a health facility or the community. None were healthcare workers, and 34 contacts are still being monitored.
Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a potentially fatal illness caused by the Marburg virus, with a case fatality rate of up to 88%. It was first discovered in 1967 in Germany, Serbia and Belgrade, and is believed to be passed from Rousettus aegyptiacus fruit bats to humans.
CONTINUE READING...
Enjoy unlimited access now.
To get full access to this article,
simply become a member of EUROPEANS TODAY now.
By doing so, you will be supporting
our independent journalism.
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:
£3/month ∙ £5/month ∙ £7/month
You can cancel anytime.
BECOME A MEMBER
Already a member? Sign in here!
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP:
✅ Read exclusive member-only articles
✅ Read our daily review of the UK front pages
✅ Receive every new article by email
✅ Access all our articles
✅ Get Special Discounts with our partners
✅ Join the conversation: Comment our articles
✅ Access our archives
✅ More importantly: Support independent journalism and keep the magazine going
Read more
— Reform UK contests nearly every seat in Thursday’s English local elections — a major test of its claim to be Labour’s main opposition. Winning will demand more than Farage’s slogans.
— Our latest chart displaying the voting intention percentages for the next general election in the UK.
— Donald Trump’s erratic tariffs and broken commitments have shattered global trust in the US — undermining economic confidence, soft power and dollar dominance, while handing China a golden soft power opportunity.
— Donald Trump’s second 100 days have devastated America’s global standing — from deportations without due process to wrecking alliances, undermining education and economy, and shattering faith in U.S. democracy.
|
|
