IAS Gyan

Daily News Analysis

Marburg virus

13th August, 2021 Health

Context

  • Recently, West Africa’s first case of the Marburg virus was confirmed
  • in Guinea.

                            

About

  • Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever.
  • It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease.
  • The virus was initially detected in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and & Frankfurt in Germany; and in Belgrade, Serbia.
  • The common symptoms of a virus are fever, headache, fatigue, abdominal pain and gingival haemorrhage.
  • Marburg is transmitted to people from fruit bats. 
  • The virus spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of the patient, surfaces and materials
  • The case fatality rate is around 50%.
  • There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for the virus yet. 
  • Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival rates.