What is the Marburg Virus Disease?

About Marburg Virus Disease (MVD):

• What is it? MVD, earlier known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever that affects both people and non-human primates.
• Causative agent: MVD is caused by the Marburg virus, a genetically unique zoonotic (animal-borne) RNA virus. Marburg and Ebola viruses are both members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus).
• Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).
• The reservoir host of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus.
• Transmission: The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission.
• Fatality: The average MVD case fatality rate is around 50%.
• Treatment:
  • There is no specific treatment for Marburg virus disease. 
  • Supportive therapy, such as intravenous fluids, electrolyte replacement, supplemental oxygen, as well as blood and blood products replacement, improves survival.

 

What are Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs)?

• VHFs are a group of diseases that are caused by several distinct families of viruses. 
• The term “viral hemorrhagic fever” refers to a condition that affects many organ systems of the body, damages the overall cardiovascular system, and reduces the body’s ability to function on its own.
• Some VHFs cause mild illnesses, while others can cause severe, life-threatening diseases.
• Most VHFs have no known cure or vaccine.

 

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Q1) What are filoviruses?

They are a family of single-stranded chiefly filamentous RNA viruses that infect vertebrates and include the Marburg virus and the Ebola viruses.Filoviruses are among the most virulent and hazardous pathogens for humans and nonhuman primates.

Source: WHO says Equatorial Guinea confirms 1st outbreak of Marburg