Highlights
- The World Well being Group has declared Ghana’s first outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus.
- Labs confirmed the infections in two instances introduced earlier this month.
- The primary case was a 26-year-old male who checked right into a hospital on June 26 and died on June 27.
Marburg Virus in Ghana: The World Well being Group has declared Ghana’s first outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus illness after labs confirmed the infections in two instances introduced earlier this month.
The illness, a really infectious hemorrhagic fever in the identical household as Ebola, is unfold to individuals by fruit bats and transmitted amongst individuals by direct contact with bodily fluids of contaminated individuals and surfaces, WHO mentioned.
A preliminary evaluation of samples from two sufferers from Ghana’s southern Ashanti area — each of whom died and have been unrelated — turned up constructive, however have been forwarded for full affirmation to the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal. That UN well being company lab corroborated the outcomes from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Analysis in Ghana, WHO mentioned in an announcement Sunday.
The primary case was a 26-year-old male who checked right into a hospital on June 26 and died on June 27.
The second was a 51-year-old male who went to the hospital on June 28 and died the identical day, WHO mentioned, including that each males sought remedy on the similar hospital.
“Well being authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head begin getting ready for a potential outbreak,” mentioned WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr.
Matshidiso Moeti.
“That is good as a result of with out speedy and decisive motion, Marburg can simply get out of hand. WHO is on the bottom supporting well being authorities and now that the outbreak is said, we’re marshalling extra sources for the response.”
Greater than 90 contacts, together with well being employees and neighborhood members, have been recognized and are being monitored, WHO mentioned. Marburg is doubtlessly very dangerous and lethal: Case fatality charges in previous outbreaks have ranged from 24 per cent to 88 per cent.
This outbreak marks solely the second time that the illness has been detected in West Africa — after Guinea confirmed a single case detected in August, in keeping with WHO.
The outbreak in Guinea was declared over 5 weeks later.
Earlier Marburg outbreaks and particular person instances have appeared in Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, WHO mentioned.