Ghana announces the end of Marburg virus outbreak
Ghana has declared an end to an outbreak of Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola, which was confirmed in July, the president’s office announced on Monday.
The Marburg epidemic in Ghana was the second in West Africa. The very first case of the virus was detected last year in Guinea, with no further cases identified.
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“The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has officially declared Ghana free from the outbreak of Marburg virus disease which was confirmed almost two months ago,” the presidency tweeted on Monday.
Ghana has declared an end to its Marburg virus outbreak which has claimed the lives of two people in the country. Pictured: Members of the Ga Traditional Council pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II in Accra, Ghana on September 16 after her death.
The Ghanaian government confirmed its first outbreak of the disease on July 17.
Three cases have been confirmed in total, two of them fatal. The third was asymptomatic and cured.
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There have been a dozen major outbreaks of Marburg since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. According to the World Health Organization, death rates have ranged from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks depending on viral strain and case management.
