Marburg virus disease (MVD), Cause, Symptoms, and Treatment

After the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic that is still affecting us today, monkeypox has surfaced, and over ten (10) countries have confirmed cases as of July 20, 2022, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America (U.S.A.), Portugal and Spain. Now the Marburg virus appears to be making a comeback, with the country of Ghana recording two (2) deaths.

Clearly, keeping ourselves as healthy as possible is a great way to continue living our lives.

Staying healthy is not just overcoming, combating, and preventing illnesses and injuries. It is also one of the main ingredients in our endeavor to achieve our goals and to enjoy life.

You may discover more about being healthy HERE .

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So, what is the Marburg virus?

The Marburg virus is a pathogen that causes the Marburg virus disease (MVD) that affects humans and non-human primates such as monkeys, apes, and lemurs.

The Marburg virus was recognized in 1967 during outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, German, and Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

The Marburg disease brings about bleeding (i.e., hemorrhage) and fever as the main adverse effects. It is rare, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the fatality ratio can be over eighty percent (>80%).

The fatality ratio measures the proportion of people diagnosed with a disease who have died from the said illness.

The Marburg disease is considered so dangerous that any work done with such a deadly agent is conducted at the biosafety level-4 (BSL-4).

Biosafety simply means containment precautions carried out, and level 4 is the highest, i.e., most stringent.

Scientifically, the Marburg virus belongs to the filovirus family, which is the same group as the Ebola virus.

In the United States of America (U.S.A.), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the Marburg virus as a bioterrorism Category A agent.

Category A means that this organism poses the highest risk to the public. ?

The Australia Group lists the Marburg virus as a pathogen for export control.

The Australia Group comprises states involved in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).?

How is the Marburg virus transmitted and spread??

The Marburg virus can be transmitted from human to human by direct contact with substances that have the virus, such as blood, secretions, etc. The virus usually enters the human body by broken skin or mucous membranes.

Mucous membranes are the moist, inner linings of parts of the human body and organs such as the nose, mouth, lungs, eyelids, trachea (windpipe), intestines, urinary bladder, and stomach.

The incubation period for the Marburg virus varies from two (2) to twenty-one (21) days.

The African fruit bat – Rousettus aegyptiacus, is considered the reservoir host. This means that it has the Marburg virus pathogen and thus is a source of infection, even though it doesn’t show any symptoms.

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Diagnosis

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing, and the IgM-capture ELISA are some of the methods used to confirm if someone has the Marburg virus disease (MVD).

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Marburg virus disease (MVD) Symptoms

The symptoms of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) are:

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It is usually not severe when the Marburg virus disease (MVD) symptoms are:

·???????Fever

·???????Chills

·???????Headache

·???????Myalgia (i.e., muscle aches and pain)

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It may be considered severe when the Marburg virus disease (MVD) symptoms advance to:

·???????Nausea

·???????Diarrhea

·???????Chest pain

·???????Sore throat

·???????Vomiting

·???????Abdominal pain

·???????Maculopapular rash on parts of the body like the back, chest, and stomach

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It is regarded as a terrible situation and very much deadly when the Marburg virus disease (MVD) symptoms are:

·???????Unexplained weight loss (i.e., severe weight loss)

·???????Shock - meaning your organs are not getting enough blood or oxygen

·???????Jaundice

·???????Delirium - meaning you’re confused and unaware of your surroundings because your mental abilities have been disturbed

·???????Organs like your liver begin to fail

·???????Bleeding (i.e., hemorrhage)

·???????Inflamed pancreas

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Marburg virus disease (MVD) Treatment and Cure

Even though Ebola and Marburg clinical trials were done in Uganda in 2009, there are still no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments.

However, Public Health Vaccines LLC (PHV) is using the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vector platform originally developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to make a single-dose vaccine that will act against the Marburg virus.

Public Health Vaccines LLC (PHV) is working with the government of the United States of America (U.S.A.) through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which could provide over $70 million in funding.

Public Health Vaccines LLC (PHV) is a private biotechnology company that develops vaccines that help to prevent and control global emerging infectious diseases.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is a Canadian federal organization that helps to prevent diseases and injuries, promote good health, and respond to health threats.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

BARDA develops vaccines, therapies, diagnostic tools, and drugs for public health medical emergencies.

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?So, what can you do?

You may do the following according to medical professionals and research:

·???????Have symptoms like fever, diarrhea, bleeding, etc., treated professionally.

·???????Other methods used to improve someone’s condition, especially in hospitals, are to have enough fluids and electrolytes, replace lost blood, and ensure the infected individual maintains good oxygen and blood pressure levels. ?

·???????Isolate yourself so you can reduce the chances of spreading it.

·???????Drink a lot of fluids.

·???????Stay away from caves.

·???????Thoroughly cook meat before consuming it.

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Of course, maintaining our health is always important, and we generally do this by exercising, eating healthy foods, getting fresh air, and having additional nutritional support as required, which you may discover HERE .