Marburg virus diagnosed in Guinea “an isolated case”

[CONAKRY] “The case Disease The detection of the Marburg virus is an isolated case, as eleven days have now passed since no new cases were discovered and the victim’s contacts have not yet developed any signs of conforming to the definition of the Marburg virus infection. “

Said Minister Remy Lama Health And public health Guinea, Spoke to reporters in Konakri on Friday, August 13th. Inviting the population not to succumb to “panic”.

“All steps are being taken to control the situation very quickly with teams comprising the WHO and the National Health Security Agency (ANSS). And in this context, we will be able to monitor the various contacts that have been identified,” he assured.

“No new cases have been found and the victim’s contacts have not yet developed any signs of conforming to the definition of Marburg virus infection.”

Rami Lama, Minister of Health and Public Sanitation in Guinea

Guinea announced on August 9, 2021 that it had discovered the Marburg virus in its soil, the first of its kind in the country and in West Africa.

The case was registered in the Temesadou M’Boket area, 54 km south of Guacadau. The area already known to be the starting point of infectionEbola The country was prosecuted between 2014 and 2016.

“The patient was taken to the village hospital by his relatives and he was very toxic. Immediately, I had a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) which turned out to be positive. Then I saw his lips were red and bleeding from his mouth. I was before bleeding, I do not know the source of it” The first person to take care of them was Temesadou Health Post Head Felix Sandouno explained.

“I finally called my hierarchical superiors to emphasize the fact that it is best to transfer a patient to Gukadau in epidemiological treatment centers,” Sidev.net adds to the questioning health worker.According to a news release from the Guinean Ministry of Health, the first tests conducted in Guinea laboratories on August 3 revealed Marburg fever; The results were confirmed by analysis conducted on August 9 at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar (Senegal).

The patient in question, a 46-year-old man, eventually became ill. But his contacts, a total of 155 people have been identified and monitored daily, according to the Ministry of Health, so no suspected cases have been found.

In a press release issued on August 9, the WHO Africa Office stated that the Marburg virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is transmitted to humans through direct contact with them. With body fluids, or surfaces and materials of infected persons.

“The disease begins abruptly with high fever, severe headache and discomfort. The mortality rate of cases ranged from 24% to 88% during the previous outbreak, depending on the prevalence of the virus and case management.

Research in Guinea has shown that the deceased patient suffered from dementia three years ago and that he lives outside the community because he is aggressive and even hunts animals. “His wife also abandoned him because of his aggression,” Minister Remy Lama said.There is currently no vaccine or approved antiretroviral therapy for Marburg. However, experts believe that palliative care is possible against this disease, which belongs to the same family as Ebola.

“We have Ebola experience. Marburg and Ebola contamination routes are the same. So what is valid for Ebola in terms of preventive measures, eradication measures or treatment is also valid against Marburg,” said epidemiologist Ben Youssef Keita.

“According to the latest information available to us, the vaccine used against Ebola will also be used against the Marburg virus and arrangements are being made to vaccinate the contacts of the deceased,” Rami Lama confirmed.

At the same time, other measures are being taken, namely, the sensitivity of the population on preventive measures, further intensifying investigations to identify suspected cases, extending the daily follow-up of isolated contacts to 21. Days …

According to the WHO, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo.