09 Nov 2024        11:26:03 am

Science

Marburg virus

Tags : Marburg virus

Topic: Viruses

Why in the news?

• Rwanda says eight people have died so far from the Ebola-like Marburg virus, just days after it declared an outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever that has no authorized vaccine or treatment. 
• The Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids.

Source: The Hindu 

About Marburg virus:

• It was firstly discovered in 1967 in Marburg, Germany, after lab workers were exposed to infected green monkeys from Uganda.
• It is a zoonotic RNA virus from the Filoviridae family, like Ebola.
• Its natural reservoir is the African fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
• It spread through contact with infected bats or animals, and human-to-human transmission via blood or bodily fluids.
• Symptoms:
  • Early symptoms: Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, rash, nausea, and diarrhea.
  • Severe symptoms: Liver failure, shock, hemorrhaging, and multi-organ failure.
• Case fatality rate varies between 24% to 88%, depending on the outbreak.
• There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for its treatment presently. 
  • Supportive care includes fluids, oxygen, and blood transfusions to improve survival.

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