Ghana confirms first cases of deadly Marburg virus

Ghana has confirmed its first two circumstances of the lethal Marburg virus, a extremely infectious illness in the identical household because the virus that causes Ebola.

It says each sufferers died just lately in hospital within the southern Ashanti area.

Their samples got here again constructive earlier this month and have now been verified by a laboratory in Senegal.

Well being officers within the West African nation say 98 individuals at the moment are beneath quarantine as suspected contact circumstances.

No remedy but exists for Marburg – however medical doctors say consuming loads of water and treating particular signs improves a affected person’s possibilities of survival.

The virus is transmitted to individuals from fruit bats and spreads between people by means of the transmission of bodily fluids.

It’s a extreme, usually deadly sickness with signs together with headache, fever, muscle pains, vomiting blood and bleeding.

Officers are warning individuals to stay away from caves and to totally prepare dinner all meat merchandise earlier than consuming them.

In Africa, earlier outbreaks and sporadic circumstances have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, the WHO says. The primary ever Marburg outbreak was in Germany in 1967 the place seven individuals died.

The virus killed greater than 200 individuals in Angola in 2005, the deadliest outbreak on document in line with the worldwide well being physique.