Outbreak of the Marburg Virus

Report from Uige Province

I have now been working in Angola as a medical relief agent for three months. It is only recently that people have started talking about a possible outbreak of the Marburg virus here in the Uige Province in Northern Angola. We fear the worst as this disease, a deadly but rare hemorrhagic fever related to the Ebola virus, has many similar symptoms to other infectious diseases such as Malaria or typhoid fever making it difficult to diagnose. After incubating for five to twenty-one days, the disease comes on swiftly with symptoms such as fever, chills, muscular tenderness and headache.1 The fifth day of infection is marked by the appearance of discolored spots and raised bumps around the chest, stomach and back area. Other symptoms at this stage include vomiting, chest pains, nausea, and diarrhea.2 These symptoms quickly become more severe resulting in jaundice, severe weight loss, inflammation of the pancreas, shock, liver failure, and multi-organ dysfunction3. Typically lasting 3-9 days, if a person does survive this period, the recovery process is prolonged, oftentimes marked with recurrent hepatitis, inflammation of the spinal cord, eyes, and parotid gland, transverse myelitis, and orchitis.4 This is worrisome, as in the region where I am currently working there is little room in the local hospital and very limited funds. If the outbreak grows it can only cause more fatalities due to our lack of resources. As of now, only sporadic cases have been reported since the last Marburg virus outbreak in Druba, in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 19985. We can only hope for limited spread of infection, as there is no cure or vaccine for this deadly virus.

December 17th, 2004

As of now, there have been 34 reported cases of what might be the Marburg virus and 34 deaths thus resulting in a 100% fatality rating. Currently the outbreak here in Angola is the worst epidemic of any kind of hemorrhagic fever and is continuing to infect as the number of cases increases around 3% each day.6 Fortunately WHO, the World Health Organization, has sent operatives to investigate if, in fact, the virus that is spreading is the Marburg virus and not another hemorrhagic virus. The whole staff at the hospital is becoming nervous, as we are particularly vulnerable to infection.