Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg disease.
The World Health Organization said Monday that the Ebola-related virus is responsible for at least nine deaths and 16 suspected cases in the tiny Western African country.
“So far nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue and blood-stained vomit and diarrhea have been reported,” the WHO said in a statement.
The agency shared that medical experts have been called to assist officials in stopping the outbreak and providing medical assistance.
“Further investigations are ongoing. Advance teams have been deployed in the affected districts to trace contacts, isolate and provide medical care to people showing symptoms of the disease,” WHO added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Marburg causes Marburg virus disease– a hemorrhagic fever that can affect the body’s organs and cause bleeding. Like Ebola, the virus originates in bats. It spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or surfaces, like contaminated bedding and clothing. Untreated, the disease has a fatality ratio of up to 88%.
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