“Death within a week”: A new virus that threatens the world?
The epidemic of the deadly Marburg virus, similar to Ebola, is seriously worrying the WHO (World Health Organization). In Belgium, the authorities are calling on the population to be vigilant.
The Dutch-speaking Belgian university KU Leuven has repatriated two students from Rwanda, where the epidemic has already claimed the lives of 11 people. The Belgian government is asking everyone who has traveled to the country and is returning to Belgium to monitor their symptoms and, if necessary, consult a health professional. The decision is supported by the infectious disease specialist at Ghent University Hospital, Steven Callens, who points out that this new virus is extremely deadly, “transmissible only by bodily fluids such as blood, vomit and diarrhea,” reports Sudinfo.
In the absence of vaccines and treatments, the infectious disease specialist specifies that mortality can be reduced to 20% if intensive care is provided quickly. The situation can become more complicated in hospitals affected by precarious hygiene conditions.
How does the Marburg virus manifest itself? Through muscle pain, fever and, when it develops rapidly, severe hemorrhages as well as organ failure leading to "death within a week without treatment", underlines Sudinfo. These symptoms are observed between 2 and 21 days following infection.
And even if it is unlikely that the epidemic will affect Europe, WHO is concerned about the lethality of the virus and the lack of treatment. During an epidemic in Angola dating back to 2005, mortality rates reached 88%.
(MH with AsD - Source: Sudinfo - Illustration: Unsplash)