Marburg

Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, but in the context of medicine, it refers to the Marburg virus, a severe and highly fatal disease caused by a virus from the same family as the one that causes Ebola virus disease.

Overview

The Marburg virus causes Marburg virus disease (MVD), which is a severe and highly fatal disease. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. The Marburg virus is a member of the Filoviridae family, genus Marburgvirus.

Transmission

The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. It can be spread through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. In humans, the virus can be spread through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.

Symptoms

The onset of MVD is sudden, with fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may also occur. Symptoms become increasingly severe and may include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, and multi-organ dysfunction.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of MVD requires laboratory testing to confirm the presence of Marburg virus or Marburg virus RNA or antibodies against Marburg virus in the blood.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for MVD. Patients are given supportive care, which includes balancing the patient's fluids and electrolytes, maintaining their oxygen status and blood pressure, and treating them for any complicating infections.

Prevention

Prevention includes reducing the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission and human-to-human transmission. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Marburg virus should apply strict infection control precautions.