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O Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned doctors on Thursday to be on the lookout for two escalating outbreaks of the disease across the Marburg virus in Africa. In addition, the CDC will begin ing some travelers arriving in the United States to look for symptoms of Ebola-like viral hemorrhagic fever. This new alert from the CDC comes as cases soared after Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania declared outbreaks of the virus earlier this year. The outbreak is the first declared by each country and is among the continent's biggest in a decade. 4b2e1f
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With the alert of CDC, health authorities are expected to take strict measures to contain the spread of the virus and properly treat those who have become infected. It is important to that the speed in identifying and treating the disease can be the difference between life and death.
Although the risk in the United States is low, it is crucial that physicians are prepared to identify and treat possible cases of MVD. Early detection is critical to preventing the spread of the disease and protecting public health.
At the moment, the risk of MVD [Marburg Virus Disease] in the United States is low; however, physicians should be aware of the possibility of imported cases. It is important to systematically evaluate patients for the possibility of viral hemorrhagic fevers.
DDC alert
What is Marburg virus and what are the symptoms? 18a4a
O Marburg is a virus that can infect humans who have with its animal host, a type of bat native to Africa. It can be spread from an infected person to others through with blood or body fluids.
Similar to its close relative, the Ebola, the virus starts with common symptoms such as fever and headache before progressing to increasingly serious problems such as diarrhea, “massive bleeding” and organ failure. Symptoms can appear from two days after exposure and up to three weeks later. The World Health Organization estimates that about half of patients with identified cases die during outbreaks.
So far, local authorities recorded 14 confirmed cases in Equatorial Guinea since the beginning of the outbreak on February 13, with 10 deaths. The WHO said on Thursday that another 23 probable cases had been identified. As per the CDC, eight cases have been confirmed in Tanzania, with five deaths. Most experts believe that the two outbreaks originated in separate transmission events, called “spillovers“, from animals to humans.
Authorities warn that cases in Equatorial Guinea have been detected over a wide area of the country, with no known connections between patients, suggesting the virus is spreading undetected among people in the region.
While we do not yet know the origin of the Marburg outbreaks in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, we do know that the ability to recognize and test specimens for viral hemorrhagic fevers such as Marburg and Ebola has increased in Africa.
doctor Tieble Traore of the World Health Organization in a publication on the 4th of April.
Travel precautions and other preventive measures o31d
There are no direct flights from either country to the United States. However, the CDC said it has begun sending text messages to arriving travelers who have been to Equatorial Guinea or Tanzania, asking them to authorities if they develop Marburg symptoms within 21 days of travel.
Enhanced domestic travel measures are not recommended at this time, as the overall risk in the United States is now considered low.
Says the CDC alert
The agency says it is also working with non-governmental organizations in the areas, with guidance that follows recommendations for preventing Ebola infections and for screening workers upon return. The CDC had already updated its guidance for Ebola, including Marburg, as well as increasing the travel alert due to the outbreak.
In the cases of Tanzania, the White House reported that the US is providing personal protective equipment, as well as “technical in managing the epidemic”. In Equatorial Guinea, CDC agents began deploying shortly after the outbreak was declared in February. The US lab was set up on March 10 and is now training local officials to diagnose suspected cases of Marburg.
Research on vaccines against the disease 3k466r
There are no approved vaccines or treatments for Marburg, although manufacturers of several vaccine candidates, including a US government-backed option from the Sabin Vaccine Institute, have prepared some experimental vaccines that could be implemented.
Approximately 750 doses of an experimental Marburg vaccine, based on a chimpanzee adenovirus, are ready to be used in trials for the current outbreak. WHO officials have previously mentioned that doses can be istered around s of each at-risk case to contain transmission.
On Thursday, the WHO said there was no set date for when the country would authorize test vaccinations to begin, but that Equatorial Guinea had released visas for its specialists to arrive before the doses were potentially applied.
“When conditions are favourable, testing can begin. For now, we are building the foundation for good alert management and case management, as well as other foundations for outbreak response. A future date could be considered, but for now, we don't have a definite start date.”
doctor WHO's Abdi Mahamud in a Press conference.
In summary, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States are closely monitoring the Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. Despite the lack of approved treatments and vaccines for the disease, efforts are underway to develop and test potential vaccines.
Meanwhile, authorities are working to contain the spread of the disease and provide guidance for travelers and aid workers in the region. WHO continues to monitor the situation and provide technical assistance and resources to combat the disease.
See also:
"zombie virus” is resurrected in the Arctic after 48 thousand years
new virus Langya henipavirus has infected more than 30 people in China
Pig iron: CDC, CBSNews, The New York Times.
reviewed by lucas gomes in 07 / 04 / 2023.
