According to local media reports, preliminary results taken from a now-deceased relative of one of the two confirmed Marburg virus disease (MVD) cases indicate that he too was infected with the viral haemorrhagic illness. The individual is said to have developed MVD symptoms sometime after the maximum incubation period of 21 days. The health of 40 contacts is being monitored. On July 22, the WHO published a Disease Outbreak News article relating to the outbreak, advising that the source of the initial infections had not been determined as yet, and the risk of spread within Ghana is high and moderate on a regional level. The latter decision was based on the fact that the first case was in the Western Region before developing symptoms and was subsequently given an unsafe burial in an area of Savannah adjacent to the borders with Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. Read more
Advice for travellers
Marburg virus disease is a rare but severe viral haemorrhagic fever, related to the Ebola virus, and there is no treatment. Found in the African fruit bat, Marburg typically appears in sporadic outbreaks and laboratory-confirmed cases have occurred in Uganda, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Angola. Preventive measures are not well defined, as study in how it is spread continues, but travellers should avoid contact with fruit bats and sick primates in central Africa. Read more
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.