Ghana has officially confirmed two cases of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola, its health service said on Sunday, after two people who later died tested positive for the virus earlier this month.
Tests conducted in Ghana came back positive on July 10, but the results had to be verified by a laboratory in Senegal for the cases to be considered confirmed, according to the World Health Organization.
The results have been confirmed by additional testing at the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, according to a statement from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
GHS stated that it is taking precautions to lessen any danger of the virus spreading, including isolating all individuals who have been found, none of whom have so far shown any symptoms.
In West Africa, this is only the second Marburg outbreak. In Guinea, the virus was discovered for the first time ever last year, but no other instances have been found.
“(Ghanaian) health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Before passing away at the hospital, the two patients in southern Ghana's Ashanti area both experienced symptoms like diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and vomiting, according to the WHO.
Since 1967, there have been twelve significant Marburg outbreaks, primarily in southern and eastern Africa. Depending on the virus type and case care, mortality rates in previous outbreaks ranged from 24 to 88 percent, according to the WHO.
According to the WHO, it is disseminated among humans by direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons, surfaces, and materials. It is transferred to humans from fruit bats.
No treatment yet exists for Marburg - but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms improves a patient's chances of survival.
To get the latest news & information from www.irishindianmirror.com click on the link and follow: Indian in Ireland | Accommodation |
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.