Home Health Urgent warning to travelers about new outbreak of terrifying ‘eye bleeding disease’ that has already killed eight people

Urgent warning to travelers about new outbreak of terrifying ‘eye bleeding disease’ that has already killed eight people

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The Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola, causes bleeding from the orifices and kills up to 9 out of 10 infected

An untreatable Ebola-like virus is on the rise in Tanzania, global health chiefs have warned.

Marburg, one of the deadliest pathogens ever discovered, has already infected nine people and killed eight of them.

There are currently no vaccines or treatments available, meaning doctors are forced to focus on helping patients survive the infection.

This often puts healthcare workers at direct risk of contracting the virus, which can cause people to bleed from the eyes as it is transmitted through infected body fluids.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed teams to the Kagera region, northeast of the African nation, where all cases have been detected so far.

But doctors are also being warned to be on the lookout for cases in neighboring countries, including Rwanda and Burundi, raising fears that the virus may be spreading undetected.

Local officials initially raised the alarm last week after a mystery illness struck six people and killed five of them.

Experts, based on preliminary evidence, considered that Marburg was to blame.

The Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola, causes bleeding from the orifices and kills up to 9 out of 10 infected

Marburg has a mortality rate of up to 88 percent. There are currently no vaccines or treatments approved to treat the virus.

Marburg has a mortality rate of up to 88 percent. There are currently no vaccines or treatments approved to treat the virus.

As of January 11, the number had risen to nine suspected cases and eight deaths in two districts (Biharamulo and Muleba), the WHO said.

Marburg is a hemorrhagic fever, in which organs and blood vessels are damaged, causing bleeding internally or in the eyes, mouth and ears.

The virus can be transmitted by touching or handling body fluids of an infected person, contaminated objects, or infected wild animals.

Symptoms appear abruptly and include severe headaches, fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. They become more and more serious.

In the early stages of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, it is very difficult to distinguish it from other tropical diseases, such as Ebola and malaria.

Infected patients become “ghost-like,” often developing sunken eyes and expressionless faces.

The WHO says it has a case fatality rate (CFR) of up to 88 percent, meaning it can kill almost 9 in 10 people it infects.

The outbreak in Tanzania comes less than a month after a Marburg outbreak in neighboring Rwanda was officially declared over.

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“We would expect more cases in the coming days as disease surveillance improves,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X earlier this week.

A total of 66 people were infected, of which approximately 80 percent were healthcare workers.

The country reported 15 deaths, and Rwanda’s response was praised internationally for its low mortality rate of 23 percent, the lowest ever recorded for a Marburg outbreak in Africa.

In March 2023, the Bukoba district of Tanzania experienced its first outbreak of the Marburg virus, which is believed to have killed six people and lasted almost two months.

But Tanzanian health authorities have not yet confirmed this latest outbreak.

“We would expect more cases in the coming days as disease surveillance improves,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X earlier this week.

In a separate statement, WHO officials also said: “The origin of the outbreak is currently unknown.”

‘The delay in detecting and isolating cases, coupled with ongoing contact tracing, indicates a lack of complete information about the current outbreak.

‘It is expected that more cases will be identified.

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Marburg virus (MVD) is initially transmitted to people by fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, surfaces, and materials.

‘The regional risk is considered high due to the strategic location of the Kagera region as a transit hub, with significant cross-border population movements to Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

‘Some of the suspected cases appear to be in districts close to international borders, highlighting the potential for spread to neighboring countries.

‘Marburg is not easily transmissible; In most cases, it requires contact with the body fluids of a sick patient who is showing symptoms or with surfaces contaminated with these fluids.

“However, it cannot be excluded that a person exposed to the virus could travel.”

Despite the regional threat, the global risk remains low as the virus does not spread easily between people, the WHO said.

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