Health
Marburg Virus Spread: Experts alert Nigeria, other countries
– No cause for alarm—Rwandan health ministry
The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and deadly disease, has sparked global concern as cases continue to emerge in Africa. With no specific treatment or vaccine yet available.
According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a rare yet severe haemorrhagic fever that affects humans and non-human primates e.g., Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Apes, Orangutans, etc. The causative agent, the Marburg virus is a zoonotic (carried primarily by animals) pathogen that belongs to the same Filoviridae family as the Ebola virus. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, the following may occur: the appearance of a maculopapular rash i.e., a rash with parts that are both flat and raised (are most prominent on the chest, back and stomach), nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea.
Also, with increasing severity of illness, symptoms can include severe watery diarrhea, jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, bleeding from multiple areas, delirium, shock, liver, failure, massive hemorrhaging, dysfunction, and/or failure of several body organs. In fatal cases, death occurs often between 8 and 9 days after symptom onset. The case fatality rate for MVD is between 24% and 88% (some say 23-90%).
The Virus has claimed hundreds of lives since its discovery in 1967. The disease, transmitted through contact with infected animals or contaminated bodily fluids, has a mortality rate of up to 88%.
There are recent cases in Rwanda. According to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, there are 61 Confirmed Cases of the virus in the country, 31 patients in isolation and treatment, 14 deaths, and 16 recovered patients.
In the words of Think Global Health, “No vaccines or therapeutics for Marburg are currently approved, but experimental treatments including monoclonal antibodies and an antiviral drug have already reached Rwanda and are being used in patient care.”
Speaking with a student Nurse in Rwanda, Chioma Vincent advised that traveling should be avoided and recommended the use of protective wear (gloves, nose masks), regular hand washing, proper sanitation, and disposal of wastes. She expressed fear and concern that the virus is very communicable and deadly as it can be transmitted by mosquitoes.
The government of Rwanda has also issued guidelines to further mitigate the spread of the virus, which include maintaining normal business activities while reinforcing personal hygiene measures and avoiding close contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms of the virus, which include high fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Also, visits to hospitalized patients will be prohibited for the moment, with only one caregiver allowed per patient at a time and all healthcare facilities are required to implement strict protocols for receiving and managing patients displaying symptoms of the MVD, ensuring full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.
Furthermore, in severe cases of death by the virus, burial ceremonies for the dead at home have been prohibited by the Rwanda Ministry of Health, and a maximum of fifty attendees for the funeral and open-casket viewing are not allowed in homes and religious places. Also, funeral services for the dead will be conducted only within designated healthcare facilities.
The ministry reassured the public that additional measures will be introduced as the situation develops.
However, compared to the sister virus Ebola, marburg seems to be under control. The fears of an imminent outbreak of the virus have been calmed by health experts as there is a low chance of the spread of the virus beyond the borders of the country. According to Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of Marburg spreading out of Rwanda is almost zero, and the mechanism they put in place even to follow the contacts, no contact can fly out of Rwanda.
However, the NCDC has not released any guidelines or precautionary measures concerning the recent outbreak in Rwanda, which connotes no cause for alarm.