In something straight out of someone’s worst nightmare, it appears that one of the deadliest known diseases to man is spreading unchecked right now in Africa.
The news that an Ebola-like virus has been confirmed in Equatorial Guinea is enough to give anyone screaming nightmares.
We love Trump reports. An Ebola-like virus known as Marburg has been confirmed in Equatorial Guinea. Marburg has spread to the country for the first time. The virus has caused nine confirmed deaths so far.
Last week, the small Central African country quarantined more than 200 people and restricted movement in its Kie-Ntem province after detecting an unknown hemorrhagic fever. As a precaution against contagion, Cameroon also restricted movement along its border.
The WHO stated “In addition to the nine deaths, Equatorial Guinea has reported 16 suspected cases of Marburg virus with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhea”
If you are wondering what the Marburg Virus is check this out
Marburg virus disease 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. Many patients develop severe hemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa stated “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.”
The World Health Organization released a statement saying “Advance teams have been deployed in the affected districts to trace contacts, isolate and provide medical care to people showing symptoms of the disease, Efforts are also underway to rapidly mount emergency response, with WHO deploying health emergency experts.”
Health officials in Kie-Ntem province and the Mongomo District in neighboring Wele-Nzas province have declared a health alert. Over 4,300 people have been quarantined in the affected area as a result of the lockdowns.
In the past decade, few cases of Marburg have been reported, and the current outbreak in Equatorial Guinea appears to be the largest since at least 2012, when 18 people were infected in Uganda. Angola suffered its worst outbreak in 2004-05, killing 227 of 252 people.
Out of all of the scariest viruses on this planet the marburg virus is in the top three, with only ebola having a higher fatality rate. This outbreak could not come at a worse time with the world being close to global conflict, weak leaders in a vast majority of nations, and a weakened WHO after the coronavirus response. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Equatorial Guinea, and we pray that they can contain this horrific virus.
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