According to a new Health Ministry report released on Tuesday, the provisional death toll from the Marburg virus outbreak, which has been raging in Equatorial Guinea for nearly three months, has increased to 11 confirmed deaths.
The most recent fatality reported by the authorities was brought on by the outbreak of an Ebola virus relative, which was almost as deadly as it was on April 3.
In a document dated Monday and shared on Twitter on Tuesday, the ministry also notes 15 positive cases, none of which are hospitalized, and 385 contact cases that were “followed” in comparison to 604 previous week.
According to authorities, cases of the hemorrhagic fever have traveled from the eastern province of Kie-Ntem, where it is believed to have killed its first known victim on January 7, to Bata, the nation’s commercial hub, where nine cases have been officially confirmed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) requested that Equatorial Guinea report any instances of the Marburg virus two weeks ago due to concerns about a possible “large-scale epidemic” that would spread to nearby Gabon and Cameroon.
The WHO stated that it was sending out “additional experts” and that it was also assisting Gabon and Cameroon in improving their readiness for and reaction to the outbreak.
Tanzania also reported the start of a Marburg epidemic on March 21 with five fatalities.
The virus is propagated in humans by direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people as well as with surfaces and materials and is transferred to humans by fruit bats. As many as 88% of cases end in death.
The virus has no licensed vaccines or antiviral medications. The odds of survival are increased by supportive care, such as oral or intravenous rehydration, and treatment of certain symptoms.
