A highly infectious virus known as the Marburg virus, also referred to as the “bleeding eye” disease due to one of its symptoms, has claimed 15 lives in Rwanda and infected hundreds more. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the disease as severe, often resulting in fatal illness in humans.
The virus has a 50% fatality rate, with case fatality rates varying from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks. The WHO reports that Mpox clade 1 has also been detected in several African countries, including Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Uganda, and Kenya.
In the UK, there have been five confirmed instances of more serious Mpox cases, with the latest case returning from Uganda. The WHO advises that Mpox is highly infectious in households with close contact, and individuals should take precautions such as washing their hands regularly and avoiding contact with people who are unwell or have a rash.
The Marburg virus can be spread through non-sexual and close sexual contact, and its symptoms include fever, excruciating headaches, extreme fatigue, body aches and pain in the muscles, severe watery diarrhea, cramping in the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and a non-itch rash. The virus may cause internal bleeding, disorientation, agitation, hostility, and testicular inflammation, with patients often passing away eight or nine days after symptoms onset.
Currently, there are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for Marburg virus, but several vaccines and drug therapies are under development by the WHO. Diagnosis is made using various methods, including antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antigen-capture detection tests, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, and virus isolation by cell culture in maximum containment laboratories.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/bleeding-eye-marburg-mpox-oropouche-virus-sparks-global-fear-urgent-warning-issued-to-uk-africa-travelers-over-deadliest-disease-check-symptoms/articleshow/115891504.cms?from=mdr