It is not Covid and it is not Ebola. And unknown virus scares theAfrica and the rest of the world. There seems to be no respite for the African continent, which for days has been grappling with another threat from the Marburg virus, an RNA virus like Sars-Cov-2, but very similar to Ebola.
There are therefore hours of apprehension in Africa and in the rest of the world for the fear of a new pandemic caused by this unknown, yet unnamed disease. Since last week, 13 infections caused by the mysterious virus have been recorded. Of the 13 people infecting, 3 of them have already died from the disease.
In the face of new viruses, it is natural to ask what is happening. Here’s everything we know about the unknown virus: where it spread, where it came from, what the symptoms are and what the authorities are doing.
An unknown virus has already killed 13 people – here’s where
The unknown disease was first detected in Africa, in a specific and delimited area. In fact, the 13 people infected with the unknown virus are all residents of the Lindi region, in the southeast of Tanzania.
According to local authorities, almost all the individuals affected by the infection reside in the village of Mbekenyera, on the Ruangwa District Council. The first patients would have arrived in a local hospital between 5 and 7 July last, which were followed by other reports, capturing the attention of the local authorities, who sent a medical team to the place.
Experts will then have to try to understand what is really happening in that territory. Other cases have been examined at the moment. Caution is extreme, as the symptoms of the mysterious disease are common to other viruses such as Ebola and Marburg. For this reason, the 13 patients were repeatedly subjected to molecular swabs in order to confirm a possible infection by the Covidfrom Ebola or the virus. However, the swabs have always tested negative, increasing the mystery about the new unknown virus.
An unknown virus has already killed 13 people: symptoms and origin
Unfortunately, not much is known about the new virus, except that it already has killed 3 people and that the symptoms caused by the unknown disease are similar to other viruses, such as Ebola or al viruses Marburgwhose first cases were reported on the other side of the continent, in Ghana.
Le 13 infected people from the unknown virus would have reported the following symptoms:
- high fever;
- severe migraine;
- exhaustion;
- nose bleeding.
If it is possible to know the symptoms of the disease, on the other hand it is still too early to be able to say with certainty what is possible origin of the disease. A first explanation on the nature of the virus was provided last Tuesday – July 12 – by the Tanzanian president Samia Solution Hassanaccording to which the virus may have developed due to the “increasing interaction” between humans and wild animals.
Unknown virus, fears for a future pandemic: what the authorities are doing
The shadow of a future Epidemic – and consequent pandemic – worries the experts, but the authorities have already taken the first steps.
Of the 13 people infected with the unknown virus, 3 of them have already died. Immediately after the death of the infected subjects, the remaining ten infected people were placed in isolation as a precaution. At the moment one of the patients, according to the latest medical bulletins released by the local health authorities, is showing improvements.
The ministry of health of Tanzania has announced that it is working to identify other people with similar symptoms, for an early diagnosis and for the timely isolation of the positives, in order to to prevent a further spread of the disease and to identify all people who have been in contact with patients and deceased.
