Malabo, Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. This comes after the deaths of at least nine people in Kie-Ntem province. After receiving a warning from a district health officer on February 7, health officials submitted samples to the Institut Pasteur reference laboratory in Senegal with assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO).

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"So far nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhea have been reported," the WHO said in a statement.  

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The government last week announced that it was investigating the cause of suspected cases of hemorrhagic fever in the rural eastern region near the borders of Gabon and Cameroon. 

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WHO

"Further investigations are ongoing. Advance teams have been deployed in the affected districts to trace contacts, isolate and provide medical care to people showing symptoms of the disease," WHO added. 

The global health body said that efforts are also underway to rapidly mount the emergency response, with WHO deploying health emergency experts in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention, laboratory and risk communication to support the national response efforts and secure community collaboration in the outbreak control.

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WHO is also facilitating the shipment of laboratory glove tents for sample testing as well as one viral haemorrhagic fever kit that includes personal protective equipment that can be used by 500 health workers.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said, “Marburg is highly infectious. Thanks to the rapid and decisive action by the Equatorial Guinean authorities in confirming the disease, emergency response can get to full steam quickly so that we save lives and halt the virus as soon as possible." 

According to WHO, Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%. "It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials," the statement read. 

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There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus, the WHO confirmed. However, it went on to say that "supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival."

"A range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies, as well as candidate vaccines with phase 1 data are being evaluated," the statement added. 

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