This Kenya Cave, Believed To Be Source Of Ebola, Could Cause Next Pandemic: WHO Issues Warning About Marburg Virus Outbreak

Marburg is an illness marked by bleeding and disruption of bodily functions. It can be deadly, with up to 88 per cent of people dying from it. Speaking to TheHealthSite.com, an expert stated that, "Marburg virus infection is a grave disease with a high mortality rate that falls under the same family as Ebola virus. Though rare, it's a lethal infection that passes on to humans from fruit bats and propagates through human interactions. Any outbreaks of this illness usually result in high death rates, posing a significant worry for health professionals and society at large globally".

Marburg is a dangerous and lethal virus that is known to be a "highly virulent disease which can trigger hemorrhagic fever." The virus after entering the human body usually lowers the natural functional capacity and affects the cardiovascular system. With a mortality rate of up to 88 per cent, the virus is related to the virus that causes Ebola. Just like coronavirus, this infection can also get transmitted to other people by touching towels or other objects that have come into contact with an infected individual.

Symptoms of Marburg Virus Infection

The virus takes at least three weeks to "incubate" before a patient starts showing symptoms. "The virus typically remains dormant for at least three weeks before symptoms appear in patients. However, the early signs often mimic those of malaria and Ebola," experts quoted as saying.

Some of the most common warning symptoms of Marburg virus infection include:

1. Fever
2. Headaches
3. Muscle pains, and
4. Exhaustion
5. Several people infected with the virus develop deep-set eyes and expressionless faces.
6. It can also cause bleeding from the vagina, eyes, nose, and gums, in later stages.

As the disease advances, victims may witness severe bleeding from various body parts and organ failure. However, diagnosing this infection is tricky due to its vague symptoms which often result in its late identification and treatment.

Are There Any Vaccines Available? Unfortunately, no vaccines are available for the virus and doctors treat symptoms by medications and fluids.

History Of Marburg Virus

Marburg virus first emerged on the radar in 1967 when it caused contagious outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade in erstwhile Yugoslavia. The virus primarily transfers from infected animals like fruit bats, its natural vessels, to humans. Upon penetration into the human populace, it multiplies swiftly via close encounters with infected individuals, interaction with body fluids, or contact with contaminated objects.

In the year 1980, during an exploration of Kitum Cave, also known as the killer cave in the books of history, a French engineer working at a nearby sugar mill accidentally came into contact with the Marburg virus. He passed away shortly after being admitted to a hospital in Nairobi. As per reports, the man's fast decline from viral hemorrhagic or blood-letting fever was described in a book about the case as "as if the face is detaching itself from the skull," with his face seeming to hang from the underlying bone as the connective tissue dissolved. In another incident, a few years later, a Danish boy who was on vacation with his family also fell victim to a similar hemorrhagic virus known as Ravn and died, near the same cave.

Our Experience With the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the year 2019, the world witnessed the worst virus outbreak in the history of mankind - the COVID-19 pandemic. With continuous monitoring and proper vigilance from healthcare and government efforts, the virus was put under control after 3 long years. However, this new revelation about the Marburg virus causing the next deadly pandemic has left the experts and WHO worried again!

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