By Alexandr and Robert Conlin

Marburg virus

How long ago and where did it come from?

• Marburg virus disease was first identified in 1967 during epidemics in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia from importation of infected African green monkeys and fruit bats from Uganda.

What family is it in?/Vaccine?• Marburg virus is a member of the Filoviridae family.• In 2009, expanded clinical trials of an Ebola and Marburg vaccine began

in Kampala, Uganda. As of October 2014, no vaccine has been approved for use in the US.• Tourist visits in mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, people should wear

gloves and other appropriate protective clothing (including masks). (To prevent this).

• Hemorrhagic: (N) any of a diverse group of virus diseases (as Lassa fever, Ebola, and Marburg) that are usually transmitted by arthropods or rodents and are characterized by a sudden onset, fever, aching, bleeding in the internal organs, petechiae, and shock.

How to get this virus• The Marburg virus is transmitted by direct contact with the blood,

secretions, organs, body fluids and tissues of infected persons. Transmission of the Marburg virus also occurred by handling ill or dead infected wild animals (African green monkeys, fruit bats).

Symptoms• Symptoms start within 2 to 21 days.• Fever• headache• abdominal pain• vomiting• diarrhea• death• Red eyes• Raised rash• Chest pain and cough• Stomach pain• Severe weight loss• Bleeding, usually from the eyes, and bruising (people near death may bleed from other orifices, such

as ears, nose and rectum)• Internal bleeding

Similarities• Ebola virus and Marburg virus are related viruses that cause

hemorrhagic fevers•  Illnesses marked by severe bleeding (hemorrhage), organ failure and,

in many cases, death• Both viruses are native to Africa, where sporadic outbreaks have

occurred for decades.• No drug has been approved to treat either virus.• There are little differences but these two viruses are almost the same.

TableYear Country Virus

subtypePeople Deaths Case fatality

rate

2008 Netherland Marburg 1 1 100%

2008 USA Marburg 1 0 0%

2007 Uganda Marburg 4 2 50%

2005 Angola Marburg 374 329 88%

1998 to 2000 Democratic Republic of the Congo

Marburg 154 128 83%

1987 Kenya Marburg 1 1 100%

1980 Kenya Marburg 2 1 50%

1975 South Africa Marburg 3 1 33%

1967 Yugoslavia Marburg 2 0 0%

1967 Germany Marburg 29 7 24%

Resources • http://www.who.int/csr/disease/marburg/en/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marburg_virus• http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs_marburg/en/• http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ebola-virus/basics/sy

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