“There Is No Confirmed Infection In Cameroon”

What is the cause of Marburg Virus?
Marburg virus is caused by a genetically unique RNA virus. In terms of lineage, this virus belongs to the same family with the Ebola virus, called the filovirus family. And Ebola virus are the only other known members of this filovirus family. Thus, for clinical diagnosis, there are highly sensitive real-time PCR targeting both filoviruses (Marburg and Ebola) for an efficient surveillance system. With current molecular laboratory infrastructures in the health system, Cameroon has the local capacity to detect the virus at country-level.
How can the Marburg Virus be transmitted?
Even though knowledge on the transmission pathways has not yet been fully delineated, unprotected contact with infected bat feces or aerosols are the most likely routes of infection. After this initial crossover of virus from host animal to humans, transmission occurs through person-to-person contact either by direct contact to droplets of body fluids from infected persons, or contact with equipment and other objects contaminated with infectious blood or tissues. The viral transmission is higher in close environments and direct contacts, especially for caregivers in the home or in a hospital. In sub-Saharan Africa where most of the recent cases occur, many outbreaks started with male mine workers in bat-infested mines. Subsequently, the virus is transmitted within the local communities through cultural practices, promiscuity within family households, and level of health systems leading to limited protection of healthcare workers in several African countries. 
What are the signs and symptoms of the Marburg Virus?
There are several symptoms related to Marburg virus, which are generally sudden and marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk (chest, back, stomach), may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, a sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may then appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and can include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction. These lead to a case-fatality rate around 50 per cent or even similar to that seen with the famous Ebola viral disease. Since most of the symptomatology are similar to those of other infectious diseases such as malaria or typhoid fever, clinical diagnosis of the disease can be challenging, thus requiring a laboratory confirmation. As a matter of facts, of all suspect cases identified in Cameroon, there is not yet any confirmed infection, suggesting that the situation might be under control at the moment.  
How can people prevent Marburg?
Understanding the transmission route is a corner stone in setting-up robust preventive measures. Since transmission from wildlife to humans is plausible (though further investigations are ongoing), avoiding fruit bats, and sick non-human primates in central Africa, is one way to protect ag...