Marburg Virus Disease: Avoid hugging, handshakes, eating bats – Virologist cautions

There is no vaccine or medication for MVD yet, Dr. Owusu

2 die from Marburg Virus in the Ashanti Region

GHS confirms cases of Marburg Virus Disease in Ghana

A virologist at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Dr. Michael Owusu, has cautioned Ghanaians to stay away from bats as well as avoid hugging and handshakes, as

Read full articlepart of efforts to contain the spread of the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD).

According to him, while the world works to come up with a vaccine, adhering to these measures will ensure that the outbreak of the virus is contained in the country.

“In a short while, once Marburg is becoming a problem … and vaccines and drugs are not available, I think the precautionary measures are very important. The COVID protocols, ensuring you wash your hands ensuring that you limit the intake of bush meat, especially in the communities affected as much as you can… especially things like bats,” he said in a JoyNews interview monitored by GhanaWeb.

He also urged Ghanaians to soon as possible, send their relations who show symptoms of the virus including vomiting or bleeding without any known reason to health facilities for checks.

“When somebody dies in your community, you don’t keep the body and handle it the way you want. We expect the communities to be cooperating with the health authorities. When a person dies and the symptoms qualify as something that has to do with viral haemorrhagic fever disease, the body will be kept from you and be further investigated,” he added.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has disclosed that two people have died after contracting the deadly Marburg virus in Ghana.

According to the service, both cases were detected in communities in the Ashanti region.

The GHS added that 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contact cases.

All you need to know about Marburg Virus Disease

Origin of MVD

MVD caused by the Marburg virus is a rare but severe haemorrhagic fever that affects both humans and non-human primates. Fruit bats are natural hosts of the Marburg virus.

According to the United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the virus was first identified in 1967, during outbreaks of haemorrhagic fever which occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).

Mode of Transmission

The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from animals and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission from direct contact with body fluids, blood and other discharges from the affected person/animal. The incubation period for the disease is two (2) to twenty-one (21) days. Treatment is symptomatic

Symptoms

-Fever
- Bloody diarrhoea,
-Bleeding from gums
-Bleeding into the skin
-Bleeding into eyes
- Bloody urine

Prevention

The disease can spread from infected animals such as bats in direct contact with blood and other body fluids including faeces of bats. The risk of bat-to-human transmission can be reduced by avoiding exposure to mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies. All animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption. There is currently no vaccine available.

The public is therefore advised to avoid contact with such animals. Marburg virus disease can also spread from an infected person to another person. The public is therefore advised to avoid direct contact with persons showing the symptoms indicated above and to encourage such persons to report to the nearest health facility for appropriate assessment.



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