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First US case of rare Marburg hemorrhagic fever confirmed
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It was announced Friday that the first US case of Marburg hemorrhagic fever has been confirmed.
An unnamed person apparently contracted the rare disease while visiting a python cave in Maramagambo Forest in Queen Elizabeth Park. It was reported that while there, the victim came in contact with fruit bats. Fruit bats are carriers of the Marburg virus.
The virus is said to be indigenous to Africa. It can be transmitted from infected animals or through infectious bodily fluids, like saliva and blood.
The person went to the hospital in January, 2008 and returned in June, 2008. Test results from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) were returned to the hospital at the end of January, 2009 confirming that the victim has the Marburg virus.
The virus was initially contracted from monkeys and/or their tissue back in 1967. There was a total of 32 people infected, of which seven died.
It was not until the virus was found in bats in 2007 that the virus was found in animals other than primates.
There have been a couple of "big" outbreaks of Marburg fever. In the Congo, from 1998 to 2000, 154 people were infected. Of those 154 infected, 128 died.
Another breakout occurred in Angola from 2004 to 2005. More than 300 people died during this outbreak.
For more information:
See the original story.
See Wikipedia.
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