The World Health Organisation (WHO) is intensifying its surveillance of people in Equatorial Guinea after an outbreak of Marburg disease in the country on the 15th of February 2023.
The outbreak was confirmed after a patient was admitted to the Mbini Hospital in the city of Bata, and died on 16th February 2023. An investigation into the cause of the patient’s death revealed that he had been suffering from symptoms of Marburg fever and had recently returned from a short trip. Officials from the Ministry of Health have since confirmed that samples of the patient’s blood tested positive for the Marburg virus.
According to Al Jazeera, an emergency meeting was held by the UN agency on Tuesday with a representative of the Marburg Virus Consortium (MARVAC), where a vaccine and therapeutic solutions regarding the virus was discussed.
