The patients showed symptoms including diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting, the WHO said, adding that more than 90 contacts were being monitored. Marburg is a highly contagious viral hemorrhagic fever in the same family as the better-known Ebola virus disease and has a fatality rate of up to 88%, according to the WHO. “The disease begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and malaise,” he said. The virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and can then be transmitted from person to person through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or with surfaces and materials contaminated with those fluids, the WHO explained. The World Health Organization said containment measures were in place and more resources would be deployed in response to the outbreak in Ghana. The WHO also warned that “without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of control.” There are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for Marburg virus. However, a patient’s chances of survival can be improved with care, including oral or intravenous hydration and treatment of specific symptoms, the WHO said. The Ghana Health Service has urged the Ghanaian public to avoid mines and caves occupied by fruit bats and to thoroughly cook all meat products before consumption to help reduce the risk of the virus spreading. Fruit bats are natural hosts of the Marburg virus, the health agency said. The Ghanaian outbreak is only the second in West Africa after the virus was detected in Guinea last year. The patient in the Guinean outbreak also died from the virus. No other cases have been confirmed by Guinean health authorities. Elsewhere in Africa, previous outbreaks have been reported in Uganda, Kenya, Angola, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 2005 Angolan outbreak was the deadliest with more than 200 deaths. According to the WHO, they have been in contact with countries at higher risk of a resurgence of the virus “and are on alert”.
