On October 18th in Africa there were multiple
cases of the Marburg virus reported. These occurrences are in 5 different
regions which include Uganda, Kampala, Ibanda, Kabarole, and Mbarara. 18 cases are being investigated and so far 9
of those cases have led to death. This virus has a 50% death rate so far. The
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), The World Health Organization (WHO), and the
Uganda Red Cross (URCS) are all working together in order to try and treat the
disease as well as prevent the spread. The organizations have spread the word
out to neighboring countries in order to make sure that the traffic between
areas is controlled to stop cross-contamination.
I did some research into what the Marburg virus is and where
it had originated. I found that the original outbreak site was in Marburg,
Germany in 1967, which explains the name. The people became infected after
contact with the African green monkey. It was also said that African fruit bats
are carriers of the Marburg virus. The virus mostly occurs within Africa,
However, it is known to reach other continents but this is infrequent. The
symptoms occur within 5 to 10 days after being infected and are very serious
conditions. I feel as though the WHO and CDC are doing a good job at monitoring
the areas and people to make sure that the disease does not get out of hand. What
I found to be smart was that the WHO had epidemiologists helping the teams in
Uganda conduct the research. The article does not mention any particular cure
for this disease and so they are most likely treating the patients for
dehydration and replenishing their bodies after blood loss.
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