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Ghana is preparing for the first-ever Marburg virus epidemic.

The preliminary discovery of two Marburg virus infections has led Ghana to prepare for a possible disease breakout. If verified, they would be the country's first such illnesses, and just the second in West Africa. Marburg fever is a highly contagious viral hemorrhagic fever that belongs to the same virus family as the more well-known Ebola virus illness.

The samples were sent to the Institut Pasteur in Senegal, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre, for confirmation after preliminary analysis of samples taken from two patients by the country's Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research revealed the cases were positive for Marburg.

The symptoms of the two unrelated individuals from the southern Ashanti area included diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. They have both passed away.

WHO mobilizes health professionals

As further investigations are underway, WHO is deploying experts to assist Ghana's health authorities by bolstering disease surveillance, testing, tracing contacts, preparing to treat patients, and working with communities to alert and educate them about the risks and dangers of the disease, as well as collaborating with emergency response teams.

"The health authorities are on the ground assessing the issue and planning for a possible epidemic reaction," Dr Francis Kasolo, WHO Representative in Ghana, stated. "We are collaborating closely with the government to increase detection, trace contacts, and be prepared to restrict the virus's spread."

If confirmed, the cases in Ghana would mark the second time Marburg has been detected in West Africa. Guinea confirmed a single case in an outbreak that was declared over on 16 September 2021, five weeks after the initial case was detected.

High death rates

Previous Marburg outbreaks and isolated cases have been documented in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.

Marburg is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and spreads through direct contact with infected people's body fluids, surfaces, and items. The illness strikes suddenly, with a high temperature, severe headache, and malaise.

Within seven days, many individuals have severe hemorrhagic symptoms. In previous epidemics, patient mortality rates ranged from 24% to 88 percent, depending on viral strain and case care.

Although there are no licensed vaccinations or antiviral therapies for the virus, supportive care, such as rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and treatment of particular symptoms, increases survival. A variety of possible therapies, include blood products and immune system boosters, treatments, as well as pharmacological therapies.