I'm pretty sure there's another one in the works but I'm not sure yet exactly which bug it'll be. At the moment I'm keeping an eye on Marburg (which kicked up in Guinea) but there have been a few flashes in the pan with ebola and Monkey Pox as well over the past months. Time will tell. For now, just keep taking vitamin C, D, Zinc and you may want to throw in White Pine Needle Tea.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/lif ... 267145.cmsMarburg virus outbreak: All you need to know about the Ebola-like disease
By - TIMESOFINDIA.COMUpdated: Aug 12, 2021, 14:43 IST
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Marburg virus outbreak: All you need to know about the Ebola-like disease
Though the world is slowly getting back to normal, the fear of coronavirus still prevails. Adding to this, there have emerged many new viruses and fungi, which have made life difficult for all of us.
The fears over the outbreak of another virus - the Marburg virus have been heightened after the revelation that the man who caught the virus last week has died and might have spread it to 155 more people.
The first case of the disease has appeared in Guinea in West Africa. Experts believe that it's an Ebola-like disease, which can be 88 per cent fatal and yet has no cure or treatment. It's a matter of concern as the disease can spread far and wide.
Health authorities in West Africa are now monitoring the 155 people who might have come in contact with the infected person. The person died in Gueckedou in Southeastern Guinea, which was also the location of the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola Outbreak.
The potential transmission of virus between bat colonies and humans also pose an increased risk for cross-border spread. This suggests high risk at the national level, requiring immediate and coordinated response with support from international partners.
The risk associated with the global level is low.
Here is everything you need to know about the Marburg virus.
Marburg and Ebola are closely related and get transmitted between humans usually through contact with blood or other bodily fluids. The fatality rate for the Marburg virus in the past outbreaks has varied from 24 per cent to 88 per cent of those infected.
The only difference between Ebola and Marburg is that there is yet no specific drug or vaccine available for the Marburg virus. There is only supportive care.
Marburg disease is a highly contagious one and causes hemorrhagic fever. The two large outbreaks that occurred simultaneously in Marburg and Frankfurt in the year 1967 led to the initial recognition of the disease. The outbreak was associated with laboratory work using African green monkeys imported from Uganda, reports the World Health Organisation.
Human infection with Marburg virus disease initially is the result of prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies. Once an individual is infected with the virus, it can spread through human to human transmission via direct contact like broken skin, mucus, secretions, blood and from surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.
Treatment
Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment increases the chances of survival. There is no licensed treatment to neutralise the virus. But various blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently under development.
Symptoms of Marburg virus disease
The incubation period varies from 2 to 21 days. The initial symptoms of the virus include high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Muscle aches and pains are common features. Abdominal cramps, pain, severe watery diarrhoea, nausea might also begin on the third day. Diarrhoea may persist for a week. The appearance of the patients at this time when infected with the virus has been described as showing "ghost-like" drawn features, deep-set eyes, extreme lethargy and expressionless face.
Fatal cases usually have some form of bleeding, often from multiple areas. Fresh blood from vomiting and faeces along with nose gums and vagina is also seen. Involvement of the central nervous system can result in confusion, irritability and aggression.
In severe cases, death occurs most often between 8 and 9 days after symptoms onset.
Diagnosis
It is difficult to clinically distinguish MVD from other forms of infectious diseases like malaria, typhoid fever, meningitis, shigellosis and viral haemorrhagic fever. The diagnostic methods used to confirm the viral infection are made using the following diagnostic methods.
- Antibody capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- Antigen-capture detection tests
- Serum neutralization test
- Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain (RT-PCR) assay
- Electron microscopy
- Virus isolated by cell culture
The samples collected from patients are an extreme biohazard risk. All the specimens should be packaged using the triple packaging system when transported nationally and internationally.