Tweet

Share

The Marburg Virus Disease, also known as Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever is a rare, infectious, acute hemorrhagic viral fever that affects both human and nonhuman primates. It was first identified during the 1967 epidemics in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia from. Outbreaks of Marburg are usually centered in Central and East African countries. It kills hundreds of people each year and the case fatality rate is approximately 25%. Outbreaks occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1998 to 2000, 2004-2005 in Angola and 2008 in Uganda.

Marburg spreads through bodily fluids and the incubation period is from 3 to 10 days. Symptoms include onsets of fever that typically last 7 days, chills, myalgia and inflammation of the eyelid and eye membrane, intestine and liver. In the 5th day a maculopapular rash appears on the torso. The acute stage of Marburg can include jaundice, severe weight loss, delirium, massive hemorrhaging, pancreas inflammation and liver failure. Within 7-10 days patients who survive begin to recover and recovery usually last 5 weeks or more. In fatal cases death occurs 6-9 days from the clinical onset of symptoms. Caregivers require barrier infection control measures as the disease is highly contagious. There is no specific treatment or vaccination for the Marburg Virus, hospital treatment is supportive in nature. In the U.S. there has been one reported case in 2008.