Brazzaville/Malabo – Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Well being has confirmed eight extra circumstances of Marburg, bringing the variety of confirmed circumstances to 9 because the outbreak of the viral haemorrhagic fever was declared on 13 February.
The brand new circumstances had been confirmed following laboratory evaluation of further samples. Thus far, there are 20 possible circumstances.There are seven deaths* among the many laboratory confirmed, and all possible circumstances are useless. The brand new circumstances have been reported from Kie Ntem within the east, Littoral within the nation’s west, and Centro Sur provinces, all with worldwide borders with Cameroon and Gabon. The areas reporting circumstances are about 150 kilometres aside, suggesting wider transmission of the virus.
“The affirmation of those new circumstances is a vital sign to scale up response efforts to shortly cease the chain of transmission and avert a possible large-scale outbreak and lack of life,” stated Dr Matshidiso Moeti, Phrase Well being Group (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. “Marburg is very virulent however might be successfully managed and halted by promptly deploying a broad vary of outbreak response measures.”
WHO is working with the nationwide authorities to step up emergency response measures by enhancing illness surveillance, testing, medical care, an infection prevention and management, in addition to finishing up additional epidemiological investigations and bolstering public consciousness to assist curb an infection unfold.
Extra consultants in epidemiology, logistics, well being operations and an infection prevention and management from WHO will likely be deployed within the coming days. The Group can also be supporting the well being authorities in neighbouring Cameroon and Gabon to ramp up outbreak readiness and response.
Marburg is transmitted to individuals from fruit bats and spreads amongst people by direct contact with the bodily fluids of contaminated individuals, surfaces and supplies. The illness is very virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio of as much as 88%. It’s in the identical household because the virus that causes Ebola virus illness.
There aren’t any vaccines or antiviral remedies permitted to deal with the virus. Nonetheless, supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and therapy of particular signs, improves survival.
*CORRECTION: In an earlier model of this press launch we indicated that there have been 20 deaths. The proper determine is that there are seven deaths among the many laboratory confirmed circumstances. All possible circumstances are useless.