- On March 21, 2023, the Ministry of Health officially declared the first outbreak of the Marburg virus in the history of the United Republic of Tanzania.
- Now the appearance of a new disease has been announced that seems to be unrelated to Ebola.
- The newly identified hemorrhagic fever causes abdominal pain, headache, nosebleeds, fever, dizziness, headache, and vomiting.
Health related problems around the world are never ending. Right now the Covid-19 pandemic is at one of its lowest points and so is the MPOX outbreak. It is still too early to put an end to both problems and there is also a risk that others will appear. In fact, this is what just happened with the detection of a new type of deadly hemorrhagic fever.
New global danger?
In this case the epicenter of the problem is the Republic of Burundi located in East Africa. It is a nation whose neighbors are Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the moment it is a country that is in the midst of a serious health crisis due to the appearance of a Unidentified hemorrhagic fever. While the most serious thing is that it already caused three deaths.
⚠️ BREAKING:
Burundi 🇧🇮 quarantines the community of Baziro after an outbreak of a “mysterious disease” resembling hemorrhagic fever appears, killing three. pic.twitter.com/VluuZGx8Vj
— Infectious Disease Tracker (@HmpxvT) March 28, 2023
All the cases occurred in the Gitobe community, which is one of the most precarious in that nation. The lack of health services is one of the main problems faced by the inhabitants.
With this scenario, the Burundi Ministry of Health reported the appearance of a strange disease. Affected people developed abdominal pain, headache, nosebleeds, fever, dizziness, headache, and vomiting. Due to the intensity of the symptoms and the delay in receiving medical attention, three deaths have already been registered.
Given the pictures of hemorrhagic fever, it has immediately been suspected that they could be cases of Ebola or the Marburg virus. But although these are hypotheses, the local health authorities have immediately denied the rumors. They have clearly emphasized that the country is free of both diseases.
With this in mind, the Ministry of Health has already ordered an investigation that includes microbiological tests. The origin is to accurately identify the pathogen that caused the fatal cases. In this way it will be possible to verify if it is a new disease or not.
Current crisis caused by the Ebola and Marburg virus outbreaks
On the other hand, it is necessary to remember that Africa is currently facing active outbreaks of Ebola and the Marburg virus. The first has even generated the activation of international health alerts because it has caused thousands of deaths in recent decades.
With respect to marburg virus, on March 21, 2023, the Ministry of Health officially declared the first outbreak in the history of the United Republic of Tanzania. Eight cases have been reported so far, including five deaths in the Kagera region.
The incubation period varies from two to 21 days. Illness caused by the Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache, and severe general malaise. Severe watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, and vomiting may begin around the third day.
Although there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments, supportive care, such as rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids, and treatment of specific symptoms improve survival. A variety of potential treatments are being evaluated, including blood products, immune therapies, and drug therapies.
Also read:
WHO declares health alert for Marburg virus outbreak: Is there a danger of spread?
WHO confirms 2 cases of the Marburg virus: It is the most similar to Ebola
Marburg virus outbreak spreads to another country, kills doctor