Marburg virus, Ghana declares first outbreak

After the two cases recorded in recent days, Ghana declares its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease. In fact, the results of the tests conducted on the first cases have been confirmed by the laboratory of the Center which collaborates with the World Health Organization. The Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, received samples from each of the two patients from the southern Ashanti region of Ghana. Both died and were not related to each other. They had symptoms including diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. The first two Ghanaian victims of the Marburg virus are a 26-year-old man who was hospitalized on June 26 and died the next day, June 27. The second case was a 51-year-old man who showed up in hospital on June 28 and died the same day. Both arrived at the same hospital within days of each other. Read also OMA is supporting a joint national team in the Ashanti region and Ghanaian health authorities are deploying experts, providing personal protective equipment, strengthening disease surveillance. They are also running tests, tracing contacts and working with communities to alert and educate them about risks and inviting them to collaborate with teams in the field. “The health authorities responded quickly, gaining an advantage in preparing for a possible epidemic – said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa – Without immediate and decisive action, Marburg”, which is a fever highly infectious viral hemorrhagic disease, of the same family as the more well-known Ebola virus disease, “can easily get out of hand.” More than 90 contacts, between health professionals and community members, have been identified and are currently being monitored. This is the second time that zoonosis has been detected in West Africa. Guinea confirmed a single case in an outbreak that was declared closed on September 16, 2021, 5 weeks after the initial case was detected. Previous outbreaks and sporadic cases of Marburg in Africa have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. OMA has also alerted neighboring countries at high risk.