With 2 deaths, Ghana confirms first instances of extremely infectious Marburg virus

Two folks in Ghana have died after testing constructive for the Marburg virus earlier this month. The virus causes a extremely infectious illness much like Ebola, Ghana’s well being service mentioned.

Representative picture of a virus (Pic credit score: Unsplash/CDC)

Ghana has formally confirmed two instances of the Marburg virus, a extremely infectious illness much like Ebola, its well being service mentioned on Sunday, after two individuals who later died examined constructive for the virus earlier this month.

Tests performed in Ghana got here again constructive on July 10, however the outcomes needed to be verified by a laboratory in Senegal for the instances to be thought-about confirmed, in response to the World Health Organization.

“Further testing at the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal has corroborated the results,” Ghana Health Service (GHS) mentioned in a press release.

GHS is working to cut back any threat of the virus spreading, together with the isolation of all recognized contacts, none of whom have developed any signs to this point, it mentioned.

This is barely the second outbreak of Marburg in West Africa. The first ever case of the virus within the area was detected final yr in Guinea, with no additional instances recognized.

“(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,” mentioned Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The two sufferers in southern Ghana’s Ashanti area each had signs together with diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting, earlier than dying in hospital, the WHO mentioned.

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