Authored by Jack Phillips by way of The Epoch Instances (emphasis ours),

The World Well being Group (WHO) convened an “pressing assembly” this week amid an outbreak of the Marburg virus, which causes one of many world’s deadliest ailments, in Africa.

Well being officers say Marburg, first seen within the late Nineteen Sixties, is said to Ebola. Nonetheless, WHO officers say it’s way more lethal, killing upwards of 88 p.c of people that contract it.

The virus has been detected in a number of African nations over the previous a number of months, together with lately in Equatorial Guinea. A small variety of Marburg instances have been present in Ghana late final 12 months.

“WHO on Tuesday convened an pressing assembly of the Marburg virus vaccine consortium (MARVAC) to debate the outbreak,” a information launch from the United Nations-backed well being company mentioned on Tuesday, including that Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever case of the virus. WHO officers say the virus is answerable for 9 deaths within the tiny African nation.

The Marburg outbreak was centered round Kie Ntem Province, situated in western Equatorial Guinea. The deaths occurred between Jan. 7 and Feb. 7, WHO mentioned, citing reviews.

“Surveillance within the subject has been intensified,” George Ameh, WHO’s nation consultant in Equatorial Guinea, was quoted as saying by the Day by day Mail throughout Tuesday’s assembly. “Contact tracing, as you already know, is a cornerstone of the response. We’ve got … redeployed the COVID-19 groups that have been there for contact tracing and rapidly retrofitted them to essentially assist us out.”

In its launch, WHO mentioned it despatched “advance groups” to impacted districts within the West African nation to offer medical care and carry out contract tracing. “Well being authorities despatched samples to the Institut Pasteur reference laboratory in Senegal, with assist from WHO, to find out the trigger,” Tuesday’s launch added. “Eight samples have been examined, one among which turned out constructive.”

Circumstances of the virus, nevertheless, are thought-about uncommon. Annual international figures launched by WHO point out that instances are usually within the single digits worldwide.

And though it stays “a really uncommon illness in folks,” says the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, “when it happens, it has the potential to unfold,” and could be extremely lethal. “Well being care employees and members of the family who look after the affected person” contaminated with the hemorrhagic fever are most in danger, the CDC says (pdf) in a reality sheet.

Learn extra right here…