The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has announced that two suspected cases of the Marburg virus disease have been recorded in the Ashanti Region.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, on Thursday, July 7.
“The disease was suspected following the identification of two persons who met the case definition for an Acute Haemorrhagic Fever in two different locations in the Ashanti Region.
“Blood samples were sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Preliminary results suggest the infection is due to the Marburg virus,” the statement said.
The samples have since been sent for confirmation at the Institute Pateur in Dakar, Senegal with the help of the World Health Organisation.
According to the service, no new cases have been reported since the two samples were taken two weeks ago.
However, the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has quarantined 34 contacts of the two persons who recorded the suspected cases.
The statement further assured that the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate with support from the Ghana Health Service Headquarters is currently conducting further investigations on the cases and contacts.
Marburg Virus
Marburg Virus Disease is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever that affects both human and non-human primates.
It is caused by the Marburg virus. It is transmitted by infected persons or animals from direct contact with body fluids, blood and other discharges from the affected person or animal.
The incubation period for the disease is two to 21 days. Treatment is symptomatic and there is currently no vaccine available.
Symptoms include; fever, bloody diarrhoea, bleeding from gums, bleeding into the skin, bleeding into eyes and bloody urine.
