World well being authorities are on alert following an outbreak of the lethal Ebola-like Marburg virus illness in West Africa.
Ghana confirmed its first two instances of the extremely infectious illness on Sunday, in accordance with the World Well being Organisation (WHO).
The announcement got here after two unrelated sufferers from the southern Ashanti area of Ghana, each of whom later died, examined constructive.
So what precisely is the illness, and may we be anxious about it in Australia? Here is every part you want to learn about Marburg virus illness.
What's Marburg virus?
Marburg is a extremely infectious viral haemorrhagic fever in the identical household because the better-known Ebola illness.
Along with being extremely contagious, the virus can also be lethal to people. In earlier outbreaks the place there was multiple confirmed case, the fatality price has ranged from 23 to 90 per cent.
What are its signs?
Marburg virus illness signs improve in severity over time.
In accordance with the WHO, the sickness, which might final from two to 21 days, "begins abruptly, with excessive fever, extreme headache, and extreme malaise", and muscle aches and pains are widespread as properly.
Quickly after, the illness can result in extreme watery diarrhoea – which can, in some instances, be bloody – in addition to stomach ache and cramping, nausea and vomiting, excessive lethargy, and a non-itchy rash.
In deadly instances, loss of life normally happens on the eighth or ninth day of the sickness, after sufferers go into shock following bleeding from a number of areas and extreme blood loss.
Different signs can embrace:
- Bleeding from the nostril, ears, eyes, gums, rectum and vagina
- Pink eyes
- Chest ache and cough
- Sore throat
- Extreme weight reduction
- Bruising
- Inside bleeding
How does the illness unfold?
The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and might then be unfold through human-to-human via direct contact with the bodily fluids of contaminated folks or surfaces and supplies contaminated with these fluids.
The worldwide well being physique mentioned containment measures have been being put in place and that extra sources could be deployed in response to the outbreak in Ghana. The WHO additionally warned early motion was essential in stopping the unfold.
"Well being authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head begin making ready for a attainable outbreak," the WHO's Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, mentioned.
"That is good as a result of with out instant and decisive motion, Marburg can simply get out of hand. WHO is on the bottom supporting well being authorities and now that the outbreak is said, we're marshalling extra sources for the response."
What's the remedy for Marburg virus?
Sadly, there isn't any vaccine or confirmed remedy towards the illness.
Nonetheless, a affected person's possibilities of survival will be improved with care together with oral or intravenous rehydration and remedy of particular signs, in accordance with the WHO, and the well being physique is at the moment evaluating a lot of potential remedies which it describes as "promising".
Placing photographs doc a pandemic like no different
What's the origin of the illness?
Marburg virus was recognized in 1967, following two simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Yugoslavia amongst lab staff who had dealt with African inexperienced monkeys imported from Uganda.
Whereas the outbreak was traced again to the Ugandan monkeys, the host of the virus is the African fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus. The species just isn't present in Australia, nor have any instances of the illness ever been recorded right here.
Since 1967, there have been 14 outbreaks of the virus, most of which occurred in Central, Japanese and Southern Africa.
The worst outbreak occurred in 2004 and 2005 in Angola, the place 227 folks died with the illness.
- Extra reporting by CNN and Related Press