Marburg
Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak
As of May 17, 2005, 337 cases of
Marburg hemorrhagic fever had been reported in Angola, with
331 of these cases resulting in death. The outbreak was
first reported in Uige, a town of about 200,000, but has
spread to seven providences, all located in the northwestern
part of the country.
Marburg hemorrhagic fever is closely related to Ebola virus
(both are in the family Filoviridae) and clinical signs are
indistinguishable. Both viruses cause diarrhea, stomach pains,
vomiting, and internal and external bleeding. Very little
is known about Marburg hemorrhagic fever, including where
the virus hides between outbreaks.
The current epidemic is the largest and deadliest outbreak
of Marburg hemorrhagic fever ever recorded. The last epidemic
occurred between 1998 and 2000 in the Democratic Republic
of Congo and resulted in 123 deaths. The current outbreak
represents the first time the deadly virus has been identified
in Angola.
The CFSPH has developed a fact sheet on the viral hemorrhagic
fevers that covers both Ebola and Marburg. To download the
file, right click on the link below and select “Save
Target As..
 (PDF
275KB)  (PPT
1.4MB)
Please contact us at cfsph@iastate.edu if
you have any comments and questions.
Source: ProMED-Mail
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