Initial case= 25 September 2017[1] Declared ended= 2 December 2017[2] | |
Confirmed cases[3] | 2 |
---|---|
Probable cases[4] | 1 |
Deaths[5] | 3 |
The 2017 Uganda Marburg virus outbreak was confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 20 October 2017 after there had been an initial fatality due to the virus.[6]
The Ugandan Ministry of Health indicated that an individual had died of the virus on 19 October; the following day, 20 October, WHO released a press statement regarding the matter. The eastern part of the country is the affected area where the cases have occurred.[1][3] On 22 October, it was reported that 55 individuals were under surveillance for the virus.[7] On 25 October, the number of individuals rose to 155 in terms of contact tracing[8]
Main article: Viral hemorrhagic fever |
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Marburg virus was first recognised in 1967.[9] In terms of diagnosis the presentation is similar to malaria or typhoid fever and therefore not easy to identify (diagnose).[10]
The Marburg virus is considered a filovirus, which is the same as the Ebola virus in terms of viral classification.[11] According to Mehedi, et al. macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells, are what the virus attacks due to their importance in the human bodies normal mechanism[12]
According to the World Health Organization there is currently no treatment for the disease.[13] As of 11 November 2017, according to the Ministry of Health no new cases have been reported to this point[14] the report originates from Kampala.
On 8 December the World Health Organization declared the end to the outbreak in the country of Uganda due to two 21-day quarantine periods[15]
Main article: Marburg virus disease § Epidemiology |
The table lists a subset of the Marburg virus disease outbreaks, which have occurred specifically in Uganda:
Year | Country | Virus | Human cases | Human deaths | Case fatality rate | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Uganda | MARV & RAVV | 2 | 1 | 50% | [16] |
2008 | Uganda Netherlands United States | MARV | 2 | 1 | 50% | [17] |
2012 | Uganda | MARV | 18 | 9 | 50% | [18] |
2014 | Uganda | MARV | 1 | 1 | 100% | [19] |
2017 | Uganda | MARV | 3 | 3 | 100% | [2] |