WHO confirms first-ever Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea; what we know so far

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday confirmed first-ever outbreak of the deadly Marburg disease in the Western African nation of Equatorial Guinea. The UN health agency said so far nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhoea had been reported. 

Preliminary tests carried out by the WHO following the deaths of the nine people in the country’s western Kie Ntem Province turned out positive for the viral haemorrhagic fever. Equatorial Guinea's Health Minister Mitoha Ondo'o Ayekaba said that a "health alert" had been declared in the Kie-Ntem province and the neighbouring district of Mongomo with a "lockdown plan implemented" after consulting with the WHO and the United Nations.

The WHO's research and development department has called for an urgent meeting on Tuesday to "outline proposed research priorities towards the newly identified Marburg outbreak in Equatorial Guinea". In a 2004 outbreak in Angola, Marburg killed 90% of 252 people infected. Last year, there were two reported Marburg deaths in Ghana.

What is the Marburg virus?

Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%. It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.

The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

What is the treatment for the virus?

There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus. However, supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival. A range of potential treatments, including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies, as well as candidate vaccines with phase 1 data are being evaluated.

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

What action is WHO taking?

On Monday, the WHO confirmed the epidemic after samples from Equatorial Guinea were sent to a lab in Senegal to pinpoint the cause of disease after an alert from a local health official last week.

“Marburg is highly infectious. Thanks to the rapid and decisive action by the Equatorial Guinean authorities in confirming the disease, emergency response can get to full steam quickly so that we save lives and halt the virus as soon as possible,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa in a statement.

"Further investigations are ongoing. Advance teams have been deployed in the affected districts to trace contacts, isolate and provide medical care to people showing symptoms of the disease," read the statement.

"Efforts are also underway to rapidly mount emergency response, with WHO deploying health emergency experts in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention, laboratory and risk communication to support the national response efforts and secure community collaboration in the outbreak control," the WHO added.

The agency said it was sending medical experts to help officials in Equatorial Guinea stop the outbreak and was also sending protective equipment for hundreds of workers.