Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Marburg Virus

Mains level: Rise in zoonotic diseases

Central idea: Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease.

Where is Equatorial Guinea located?

marburg

Equatorial Guinea is a country located in Central Africa.
It is situated on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. It also includes two small islands, Bioko and Annobon, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean.

Marburg Virus

The Marburg virus is a highly dangerous pathogen that targets several organs and reduces the body’s ability to function on its own.
Depending on the strain and case management, the fatality rates for the virus range from 24% to 88%.

The natural carrier of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the virus but does not fall sick from it.
Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with blood or other bodily fluids.
Rehydration treatment to alleviate symptoms can improve the chances of survival.

The virus has caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia in 1967, resulting in seven deaths.
During an outbreak in Angola in 2004, the virus killed 90% of the 252 people who were infected, and in Ghana last year, two people died of Marburg.