The Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) has claimed the lives of two individuals who tested positive in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region.
Sources at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), who confirmed the incident, said the deceased reported with Acute Haemorrhagic Fever following which samples sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the Institute Pasteur in Dakar (IP) confirmed the disease.
“The two cases didn’t survive,” the GHS source said. This was also confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in an interview with international news organisation, The Washington Post.
The GHS in a press release to confirm the recording of the virus in the country said since the suspicion of the two cases, some 98 contacts have been identified including individuals from Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district from Savannah Region.
The contact, the GHS said, are currently under quarantine and being monitored by the Ashanti and Savannah Regional Health Directorates.
It also indicated that no new cases of MVD have been identified.
The GHS stated that together with partners including the Wildlife Department at the onset of suspicion initiated measures to reduce any risk of spread.
These measures included the isolation of all identified contacts including doctors and other healthcare workers.
“Following the confirmation of the cases, contact tracing has been expanded with the identification of more contacts being followed up for the maximum incubation period of 21 days. A reasonable number of contacts have developing any symptoms.
In addition, thirteen (13) of the contacts were randomly selected and tested at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. All 13 contacts tested negative for Marburg Virus,” the statement signed by the Director General, Patrick Kuma-Aboagye said.
The GHS further assured the public of the continuity with response measures to prevent any further cases while working with all relevant bodies to ensure that no case if exists, is missed by the health sector.
“Community activities are being strengthened with the engagement of community-based surveillance volunteers who serve as eyes on the ground for the health system and who will report any unusual occurrences to the Ghana Health Service for further action.
The necessary additional logistics including Personal Protection Equipment have been sent to the affected districts should the need arise,” it added.
MVD
Marburg Virus Disease is a rare but severe haemorrhagic fever that affects both humans and non-human primates.
Fruit bats are natural hosts of Marburg virus.
The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from animals and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission from direct contact with body fluids, blood and other discharges from the affected person/animal.
The incubation period for the disease is two (2) to twenty- one (21) days and treatment is symptomatic.
Persons with MVD may present with symptoms such a fever, bloody diarrhoea, bleeding from gums, bleeding into the skin, bleeding into eyes and bloody urine Prevention.
According to the GHS there is currently no vaccine available.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri