- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning over the Marburg virus currently spreading in Africa
- The bat-borne virus has a 90% fatality rate
- Health officials worldwide are starting to raise concerns about the virus' behavior and the possibility of future pandemics
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned amid the recent Marburg outbreak as the virus continues to spread in Africa.
There are currently two concurrent outbreaks of the Marburg virus, similar to the Ebola virus, that can kill as many as 90% of infected people. The situation raises crucial questions regarding the behavior of the bat-borne pathogen and global efforts to prepare for potential future pandemics.
Marburg Outbreak Spreading in Africa
Marburg is a hemorrhagic fever and is considered relatively rare, as only a handful of outbreaks have been reported since it was first identified in 1967. However, a steady increase in occurrences in Africa in the last few years is sounding the alarm for many health officials, as per the New York Times.
The infection is known to cause high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and in the most severe cases, bleeding from orifices. Health officials warn that it can spread between people via direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of people who are already infected and with surfaces and materials, including clothing that these fluids have contaminated.
One of the two known outbreaks was in Tanzania, located in East Africa, and seems to have been controlled by local officials. This comes as there are only two people left who are still in quarantine.
However, in Equatorial Guinea on the west coast, the spread of the Marburg virus is still ongoing in the second area. Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the region was not transparent in reporting actual cases of the Marburg virus.
CDC Warns of Traveling to Other Countries
The outbreak has already reached the coastal city and economic center of Bata, which is the home of roughly half a million people. Four cases have been discovered in the port city since last week. The situation raised the possibility of potential multi-country transmission, according to the World Socialist Web Site.
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Equatorial Guinea announced in a social media update from last Wednesday that there had been 13 cases of infection in the region. Officials have also confirmed that there have been nine reported deaths related to the virus. Two people are hospitalized, and one has only shown mild symptoms.
Due to the recent spread, the CDC has deployed personnel to Africa to support the local government in fighting the outbreak. The health agency has also warned travelers going to certain countries to take necessary precautions as authorities are taking steps to curb infections and prevent the virus from spreading wildly to the United States, said CNN.
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