Deadly Marburg virus spreads in Equatorial Guinea

Since the first deaths became known on January 7th, there have been nine laboratory-confirmed patients, seven of whom have died, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. 20 other dead were also likely infected. “Increased countermeasures” are urgently needed to prevent a “widespread epidemic and further loss of life”, according to the WHO.

The Marburg pathogen, which is related to the Ebola virus, triggers a life-threatening, high fever with symptoms such as cramps, bloody vomiting and diarrhea. Because of the proximity to the neighboring countries Cameroon and Gabon, the WHO sees a medium-high risk for the region and a high risk for Equatorial Guinea itself, whose 1.5 million inhabitants are among the poorest people in the world according to the UN.

WHO wants to prevent cross-border outbreak

Local authorities in Equatorial Guinea first sounded the alarm on February 7 after at least eight people died in two villages in Kié-Ntem province in the northeast of the country. On February 13, the government declared a health emergency in consultation with the UN and WHO. The virus has now spread from Kié-Ntem to the economic center of Bata and three of the small coastal country’s four provinces.

The WHO announced the deployment of additional experts such as epidemiologists and health workers “in the coming days” as well as “support for Gabon and Cameroon in preparing for and responding to a large-scale outbreak”.

WHO wants to test promising vaccines

The Marburg virus bears the name of the German city because laboratory employees there became infected with the previously unknown virus in test monkeys in 1967. Depending on the treatment options, up to 88 percent of those affected die. People become infected through contact with body fluids of infected people. It is believed that the virus originated from flying foxes, which are related to bats. According to the WHO, there are no approved vaccines or drugs against the virus so far, but there are promising vaccines that could be tested.

The director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has now made a corresponding offer to the government of Tanzania. In the East African country, an outbreak of Marburg fever, initially with five deaths, was confirmed just a few days ago. “The developers are on board, the clinical trial protocols are ready, the experts and donors are ready as soon as the national government and researchers give the go-ahead,” Tedros said.

It is the first outbreak of Marburg fever in Equatorial Guinea. Most recently, three people died in Ghana, West Africa, last year. Outbreaks have previously occurred in Uganda, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and South Africa.

ww/sti (dpa, afp)