Marburg virus

Introduction

Marburg virus is a rare but deadly virus. It's named after the city in Germany, where it was first discovered in 1967. To humans, contact with infected monkeys or apes transmitted Marburgvirus to humans, which can be found in Africa and Asia. There are four types of Marburgvirus: one that affects humans only; two that affect both monkeys and humans; and two that affect only monkeys. Humans who contract one of these types will typically experience fever, headache, muscle aches and pains, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal cramps followed by death within 3-8 days.

Causes

Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever virus that causes severe illness in humans, including vomiting and diarrhoea. The symptoms of Marburg infection can be very similar to those of Ebola, but there are differences in the way people get infected with Marburg compared to how they get infected with Ebola.

• Unlike the Ebola and Lassa viruses, which spread through direct contact with sick people's bodily fluids or secretions (e.g., urine), the Marburg virus spreads through inhalation of airborne droplets produced by coughing or sneezing after someone has been infected with it—and these tiny particles contain infectious agents just waiting for a new host!

Signs

By observing the behaviour of an infected person, it could be possible to detect the Marburg virus.

• Breathing difficulty

• Vomiting

• Muscle pain can be severe and last several days or weeks. 

If you got the virus while caring for a patient who has an Ebola illness, this is very likely to happen (EBV). If you are exposed to EBV, talk to your employer about getting the proper safety gear, such as gloves and eye protection, for you and anyone working close. You should always take precautions even if you have never been exposed to EBV. For example, use a face mask while washing your hands and going to public restrooms; avoid shaking hands with persons whose hands may have blood on them from finger cuts; and avoid playing contact sports like soccer because they could expose others who participate in them without realizing it.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of Marburg virus infection include:

• Dizziness, which may be severe and last for several days.

• Fatigue may last up to one week after the illness has resolved.

• Headaches can persist for days or weeks after the illness has resolved.

Other potential signs and symptoms include * Nausea or vomiting; this is more common in younger children than adults (up to 60%). * Diarrhea; this tends to occur within 24 hours of disease onset and lasts several days on average (usually shorter in older adults).

Treatment

• Supportive treatment: This is the first line of defence for patients with Marburg virus infection. The principal goal of supportive care is to prevent complications and help keep your immune system strong.

• Symptomatic treatment: When symptoms of Marburg virus infection develop, they can be treated with antiviral medications like ribavirin or interferon-alpha (INF-A).

Prevention

• Avoid contact with animals. The virus is passed from animals to humans, who can then pass it back to other people—so avoid touching or feeding wild animals.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds, or at least 10 minutes, if you are sick and don't feel like cleaning yourself properly. If you think someone else may have been exposed to the virus, ask them to do the same thing before touching you; this should help prevent infection from being passed up the chain of command!

• Use a condom when having sex (or masturbating) if both partners are infected; this significantly reduces the risk of spreading HIV/AIDS through sexual contact.* Avoid kissing anyone who might have had direct contact with the Marburg virus during their time inside our facility.* Avoid sharing needles or syringes.* Avoid sharing razors.* Do not share towels unless they're clean ones without any blood on them first...because otherwise, we could all get sick again soon enough, anyway?

Marburg virus is rare but deadly.

The Marburg virus is a rare but deadly virus. It’s also known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever and is a member of the Filoviridae family, which includes Ebola and Lassa viruses.

The Marburg virus causes Marburg haemorrhagic fever (MHF) and can cause severe illness and death in humans. MHF was first identified in 1967 when it caused five deaths in Uganda. Since then, there have been an estimated 25 cases worldwide with an average case fatality rate of 70%. Most people infected with MHF experience only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all; however, some patients develop severe illnesses including shock, coagulopathy (low blood clotting), bleeding into muscle tissue and kidney failure due to thrombocytopenia (reduced number of platelets).

Conclusion

Marburg virus is a rare but deadly disease. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea. There is no cure for Marburg infection, so patients are treated with supportive care and may need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment of complications such as dehydration, kidney failure or blood clotting disorders. 

Fanuel Musotsi, MD