The World Well being Group says Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg illness, saying the Ebola-related virus is answerable for a minimum of 9 deaths within the tiny Western African nation

DAKAR, Senegal — The World Well being Group says that Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg illness, saying the Ebola-related virus is answerable for a minimum of 9 deaths within the tiny Western African nation.

In an announcement on Monday, the U.N. well being company confirmed the epidemic after samples from Equatorial Guinea have been despatched to a lab in Senegal to pinpoint the reason for illness after an alert from a neighborhood well being official final week.

The WHO mentioned there have been at the moment 9 deaths and 16 suspected circumstances with signs together with fever, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting. The company mentioned it was sending medical specialists to assist officers in Equatorial Guinea cease the outbreak and was additionally sending protecting gear for a whole lot of employees.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus originates in bats and spreads between individuals through shut contact with the bodily fluids of contaminated individuals, or surfaces, like contaminated mattress sheets. With out remedy, Marburg could be deadly in as much as 88% of individuals.

The uncommon virus was first recognized in 1967 after it induced simultaneous outbreaks of illness in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven individuals died who have been uncovered to the virus whereas conducting analysis on monkeys.

There are not any licensed vaccines or medication to deal with Marburg, however rehydration remedy to alleviate signs can enhance the possibilities of survival.

In a 2004 outbreak in Angola, Marburg killed 90% of 252 individuals contaminated. Final yr, there have been two reported Marburg deaths in Ghana.