A rare Ebola-like virus which can cause people to bleed to death may be present in Ghana. Two possible cases of the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) have been reported, with both infected patients having died after hospitalisation.
Blood samples came back positive for the deadly virus, however they have been sent to another lab for confirmation. World Health Organization (WHO) officials are now headed to the country to support the local health authorities in case there is an outbreak.
The condition, like Ebola, is an infectious hemorrhagic fever which causes internal and external bleeding, among other severe symptoms. The case fatality rate has been as high as 88 percent, however the WHO says that it can be much lower with good patient care.
The two possibly infected patients were thought to have been in contact with 34 people, who are now in quarantine. The Ghana Health Service have said that no new cases have since been reported.
The WHO said: "Preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway.”
There have been 13 major outbreaks since 1967, when the virus was initially detected, with the largest outbreak taking place in 2005 in Angola, where 374 cases where detected with 329 of those proving fatal, leading to an 88% Case fatality rate.
The condition is spread to people by fruit bats, according to the WHO, and can result from prolonged exposure to mines or caves where the bats live. The condition then spreads from human to human through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected people as well as infected surfaces or materials.
As there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved for MVD, it can be a highly concerning condition however, supportive care can improve survival rates.
Dr Tom Fletcher, an infectious disease consultant at the Royal Liverpool University hospital, told the Telegraph : “An outbreak of a filovirus such as Marburg is always a serious concern, especially in a setting that hasn’t managed outbreaks before, and when cases are diagnosed postmortem."
Symptoms of the condition, according to the WHO, include: "Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Muscle aches and pains are a common feature. Severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting can begin on the third day.
"Diarrhoea can persist for a week. The appearance of patients at this phase has been described as showing “ghost-like” drawn features, deep-set eyes, expressionless faces, and extreme lethargy."
They add that patients can develop severe haemorrhages during the first week of infection, and fatal cases usually involve some form of bleeding. They add that in fatal cases deaths usually occur between eight and nine days after symptom onset.
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