2021 Marburg virus disease outbreak in Guinea

2021 Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak in Guinea

The 2021 Marburg virus disease outbreak in Guinea was a significant public health event that occurred in Guinea in 2021. The outbreak was caused by the Marburg virus, a highly infectious and deadly pathogen that causes Marburg virus disease (MVD), a severe form of viral hemorrhagic fever.

Background

The Marburg virus is a member of the Filoviridae family, which also includes the Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. The Marburg virus disease has a case fatality rate of up to 88%.

Outbreak

The 2021 outbreak in Guinea was the first time the Marburg virus was detected in the country. The first case was reported in the southern Gueckedou prefecture, near the borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia. The patient was a man who had been in contact with bats in a mine.

Response

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Guinea Ministry of Health worked together to respond to the outbreak. The response included contact tracing, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials, community engagement, and treatment of patients.

Impact

The outbreak had a significant impact on Guinea's public health system, which was already strained by the COVID-19 pandemic and a recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease. The outbreak also raised concerns about the potential for the virus to spread to other countries.

See also

• Marburg virus disease
• Ebola virus disease
• 2021 Guinea Ebola outbreak
• COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea