Marburg virus: FAQ
Key points
- The Marburg virus has killed more than 140 people in a major outbreak in Angola.
- It is a severe and highly contagious form of haemorrhagic fever caused by a virus from the same family - the filoviruses - as Ebola, although it is not as deadly as its cousin.
- During the incubation period, which lasts between five and 10 days, no symptoms are apparent.
- But this can take a long time, and some suffer from related conditions such as hepatitis, inflammation of the spinal cord and eye problems.
The Marburg virus has killed more than 140 people in a major outbreak in Angola.
Q: What is the Marburg virus?
It is a severe and highly contagious form of haemorrhagic fever caused by a virus from the same family - the filoviruses - as Ebola, although it is not as deadly as its cousin.
The virus was first discovered in 1967, during simultaneous outbreaks at laboratories in the former Yugoslavia and Frankfurt and Marburg, Germany.
Health officials linked the infections to contact with green monkeys imported from Uganda for research on a polio vaccine.
Q: What are the symptoms?
During the incubation period, which lasts between five and 10 days, no symptoms are apparent.
After that patients develop a flu-like illness with fever, chills, headache and aching muscles. Nausea and vomiting are also common.
The disease can then become increasingly damaging, causing jaundice, delirium, liver failure, and extensive haemorrhage, which can give rise to bloody diarrhoea and vomiting of blood (heamatemesis).
About one in four people infected with the virus die, usually from shock or liver failure. However, in areas where medical support is poor, the death rate can be much higher.
The infection can be difficult to diagnose, because many of the initial signs are similar to those of other infectious diseases, such as malaria or typhoid fever.
Q: Can patients make a full recovery?
Yes. But this can take a long time, and some suffer from related conditions such as hepatitis, inflammation of the spinal cord and eye problems.
Q: How is it spread?
How the virus jumps from animals to humans is not known.
Once a human is infected they can pass the virus on to others through their body fluids, most commonly blood.
Experts say it is possible that patients spread the virus by producing an aerosol of tiny infected droplets when they cough and splutter.
However, sick humans apparently do not usually generate sufficient amounts of infectious aerosols to pose a significant hazard to those around them.
Q: How is it treated?
There is no cure. However, death rates can be kept down by providing patients with medical support.
The key is to try to prevent patients from becoming dehydrated.
Q: Should health workers take precautions?
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Infections, HIV & STIs →NewsEgypt discovers first case of potentially deadly MERS virus
Egypt has discovered its first case of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in an Egyptian citizen who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, Egypt's Ministry of Health said on Saturday. The…
29 April 2014
NewsSaudi Arabia says MERS virus cases top 300, 5 more die
Saudi Arabia said on Friday it had discovered 14 more cases of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the kingdom, bringing the total number to 313. A health ministry statement said the new…
29 April 2014
NewsFinding hiding place of virus could lead to new treatments
Discovering where a common virus hides in the body has been a long-term quest for scientists. Up to 80 percent of adults harbor the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), which can cause severe illness and death in people with…
12 March 2014