“Nine deaths have been reported so far in people with symptoms compatible with Marburg, and one tested positive for the virus. The other eight deaths are considered suspicious cases because they had similar symptoms and were most likely part of the same transmission chain. Meanwhile, WHO is convening the vaccine prioritization committee to identify which vaccine candidates should be evaluated first and is taking steps to prepare for potential trials. So the WHO director general during a briefing.
15 FEB –
“Equatorial Guinea on Monday confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in two districts, near the border with Cameroon and Gabon. This is the first Marburg outbreak reported in Equatorial Guinea. Marburg belongs to the same virus family as Ebola, causes similar symptoms, is transmitted between humans in the same way, and like Ebola, has a very high mortality rate. Nine deaths have been reported so far in people with symptoms compatible with Marburg, and one has tested positive for the virus “.
Thus the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesustook stock of the situation in a briefing.
“The other eight deaths are considered suspicious cases because they had similar symptoms and were most likely part of the same transmission chain, but Marburg’s presence could not be confirmed because samples could not be obtained. Sixteen suspected cases were hospitalized with mild symptoms and 21 contacts are being monitored at home. WHO is helping the government respond to the outbreak by deploying experts in epidemiology, clinical care, risk communication, community engagement and infection prevention and control,” it adds.
“We are also helping to establish a diagnostic capability for the Marburg and have chartered flights to send medical supplies and personal protective equipment from our hub in Nairobi, Kenya. No confirmed cases have been reported so far in Cameroon or Gabon, but the WHO is working with the Cameroon Ministry of Health to investigate an alert in that country. We are also supporting the governments of Cameroon and Gabon to prepare to rapidly identify, isolate and treat suspected cases.”
Ghebreyesus went on to explain: “There are currently no vaccines or approved treatments for Marburg virus disease, and few are under development. Marburg, which includes developers and experts from around the world. Any decisions on testing vaccines and therapies will be made by national authorities and researchers in Equatorial Guinea. Meanwhile, WHO is convening its vaccine priority setting committee to identifying which vaccine candidates should be evaluated first and is taking steps to prepare for potential trials. WHO is also in discussions with the Ministry of Health about providing access to investigational therapies as part of a clinical trial.”
Monkeypox. On Friday, the Global Monkeypox Outbreak Emergency Committee said it remains a global health emergency. “The committee recognized the progress made in reducing smallpox transmission globally and the continued decline in reported cases since the last meeting. However, more than 30 countries continue to report cases and the possible under-detection and under-reporting of confirmed cases in some regions is worrying, particularly in countries where animal-to-human transmission of smallpox has already been reported,” Ghebreyesus explained.
WHO continues to call on all countries to “maintain smallpox surveillance and integrate prevention, preparedness and response services into national control programmes, including for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections”.
Covid. Finally, on the Covid front, after the sharp increase in deaths reported last month, especially from China, hospitalizations and deaths have decreased. “About 10,000 deaths were reported to WHO last week, a similar number to the weekly deaths reported before last month’s increase. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 10,000 deaths a week is 10,000 too many, a disease that can be prevented and treated.We also know that the data communicated to WHO is an underestimate, due to the reduction of tests and delays in reporting.
Omicron subvariants remain globally dominant and continue to be of concern, given their higher transmissibility and the fact that all subvariants can kill. We have the tools to save lives and end Covid as a global health emergency this year. We must continue to use them all, and to use them well”, concludes the WHO director general.
G.R.
February 15, 2023
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