This is only the second outbreak in Marburg in West Africa.
This is only the second outbreak in Marburg in West Africa.
Ghana has officially confirmed two cases of Marburg virus, a highly contagious disease similar to Ebola, its health service said on Sunday, after two people who tested positive for the virus later this month. it was done.
Tests conducted in Ghana came back positive on 10 July, but according to the World Health Organization, the results had to be verified by a laboratory in Senegal to confirm the cases.
“Further testing at the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal has confirmed the results,” the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said in a statement.
GHS is working to reduce any risk of spreading the virus, including isolating all identified contacts, none of whom have developed symptoms so far.
This is only the second outbreak in Marburg in West Africa. The first case of the virus in the region was detected in Guinea last year, and no further cases were identified.
“The (Ghanaian) health authorities have responded swiftly, starting preparations for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg could easily get out of hand,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
The WHO said two patients in the Ashanti region of southern Ghana had symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting, before dying in hospital.
There have been a dozen major Marburg outbreaks since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. According to the WHO, the mortality rate in previous outbreaks has varied from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain and case management.
The WHO says it is spread from fruit bats to people and through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people, surfaces and materials.