While we are battling with covid 19, there is another virus which have been detected in Africa this week. 

As of now two cases have been reported of Marburg virus have been detected in Ghana, as per the reports from WHO. Both of the people detected with the virus have passed away due to the disease. Its the first time that this disease have appeared in Ghana.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa said in a statement, that, “Health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand. WHO is on the ground supporting health authorities and now that the outbreak is declared, we are marshalling more resources for the response."

The authorities in Guinea confirmed a case of Marburg virus disease, last year, in the southern Gueckedou prefecture,  as per the reports from WHO.

It us highly infectious hemorrhagic fever that's similar to Ebola. This is the second time that has been detected in West Africa.

What is Marburg virus disease?

In an earlier interview Dr. Eric Cioe-Peña, director of global health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York, told Healthline that Marburg virus is a kind of viral hemorrhagic fever.

“Hemorrhagic fever is any infectious fever that causes internal bleeding,” he explained. “Usually from an overwhelming inflammatory reaction that decreases a patient’s platelets and clotting factors.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that even though some kinds of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause mild illnesses,  but many diseases can be life threatening. 

As per CDC, viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) they can be caused by four different virus families: Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Filoviridae, and Flaviviridae. The Marburg virus is considered a filovirus.

“Filovirus is the same family of viruses that Ebola belongs to,” said Cioe-Peña. “Symptoms are virtually identical to Ebola and mortality ranges widely from less than Ebola — about 28 percent is the lowest mortality and 88 percent is the highest recorded mortality.”

Symptoms like fever, malaise, body aches, nausea,  vomiting, diarrhea, and internal hemorrhaging, shared by Cioe-Peña

Source Healthline