AFTER the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the first outbreak of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea, several countries, including the Philippines, have started to monitor the developments surrounding the virus.

The WHO said that one out of nine deaths which have been tested in Equatorial Guinea turned out to be positive for the Marburg virus.

It said that further investigations are being undertaken as another 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue, blood-stained vomit, and diarrhea have been reported to the organization. 

But despite the warning from WHO, the Department of Health in the Philippines said the global risk of the Marburg virus remains low at this time, adding that there is no current risk assessment regarding this virus.

But should the Philippines report its first case of the Marburg virus, is the country ready for another COVID-19 in the making?

Thanks to COVID-19

For Dr. Edsel Salvaña, an infectious disease expert, the current COVID-19 health protocols, including quarantine and other policies like masking requirements, will help prevent the spread of the Marburg virus.

Salvaña likewise said that the Marburg virus is not airborne and that a person could be infected only through transmission of body secretions.

And because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Salvaña said the country had strengthened its genomic surveillance systems that are crucial to curbing the spread of these emerging outbreaks.

“Kung may naidulot mang maganda itong nagkaroon ng pandemic is it has strengthen our surveillance systems, sa ating genomic surveillance systems, ang ating tracking ng mga tao, para mas manatiling ligtas po tayo against these emerging outbreaks. Kasama po diyan iyong Marburg,” Salvaña said in a public briefing.

Fatality rate

As per the WHO, a mortality rate of up to 88 percent is associated with the Marburg virus disease, a virulent disease that produces hemorrhagic fever. Marburg virus belongs to the same family as the virus that is responsible for the illness caused by the Ebola virus. 

The symptoms of illness brought on by the Marburg virus appear suddenly and include high fever, severe headache, and severe malaise, it said.

The WHO said that within the first week, a significant number of individuals experienced severe bleeding problems. Fruit bats are accountable for passing the virus on to humans. 

The disease is carried from person to person by direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals and contaminated surfaces and items, it said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Marburg virus was initially identified in 1967 when hemorrhagic fever outbreaks emerged concurrently in laboratories in Marburg, Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia.

In 2022, countries including Angola, DR Congo, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Serbia, South Africa, and Uganda have already reported outbreaks of the Marburg virus.