Ethiopia, New Marburg Epidemic Wave
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health confirmed at the end of last week that the country is experiencing an active outbreak of Marburg disease, caused by a virus similar to the one that causes Ebola.
This is the first time Ethiopia has had confirmed cases of this hemorrhagic fever, which had previously been recorded in other neighboring countries.
According to information from the World Health Organization, many patients develop severe hemorrhagic manifestations between 5 and 7 days, and fatal cases usually present some type of bleeding, generally from multiple areas.
The disease is caused by infection with the Marburg virus itself (MARV) or with a related virus known as Ravn (or RAVV).
Infection occurs through contact with secretions from animals or people who are already sick, and can also occur through indirect contact via contaminated surfaces. It then causes symptoms such as fever, fatigue, general malaise, and muscle and headaches.
With a high chance of manifesting as a hemorrhagic fever, the greatest risk of Marburg disease is dehydration, which can lead to death from blood and fluid loss. Because it is usually only tested for in severe cases in endemic regions, the disease also has a high mortality rate: up to 88% of known infected individuals die, depending on the strain.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.
There is no specific treatment for the condition. The goal is to alleviate symptoms in order to improve the prognosis of patients. This involves combating severe dehydration, which may require intravenous electrolyte replacement and blood transfusions.
To date, all recorded endemic cases of Marburg disease have occurred on the African continent. According to the WHO, outbreaks and sporadic cases have been observed in countries such as South Africa, Angola, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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