By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#USA, April 11, 2023 – Rare but highly fatal is how the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describes Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), the latest illness it has warned US doctors to be on the lookout for. An April 6th, the Health Advisory published over the Health Alert Network called for more vigilance following outbreaks in two African Nations, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea.
Closely related to Ebola, the hemorrhagic fever causes symptoms of fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal symptoms, or unexplained bleeding in those infected. It is caused by both the Marburg virus (first discovered in Germany) and the Ravn virus, carried by fruit bats.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the Tanzanian outbreak on March 24th. At that time, there were eight cases and five deaths, a fatality rate of over 60 percent. In Equatorial Guinea there were nine confirmed cases as of March 22nd and seven deaths. The outbreaks are concerning in that they are first time outbreaks for both countries. At that time, the risk of the virus spreading globally was deemed to be very low.
There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the disease yet, though a human trial of an experimental vaccine, described as promising, was completed this January with further testing to be done across Africa and the US. Mortality rates from MVD can be as high as 90 percent if infected persons do not get supportive care the CDC says.
Signs & Symptoms
After an incubation period of 2-21 days, symptom onset is sudden and marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk (chest, back, stomach), may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, a sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and can include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction.
Clinical diagnosis of Marburg virus disease (MVD) can be difficult. Many of the signs and symptoms of MVD are similar to other infectious diseases (such as malaria or typhoid fever) or viral hemorrhagic fevers that may be endemic in the area (such as Lassa fever or Ebola). This is especially true if only a single case is involved.
The case-fatality rate for MVD is between 23-90%.