Kampala - A hospital technician has died of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Kampala, the Ugandan government announced on Sunday.
The
man, aged 30, died in the Mengo hospital where he worked in the capital
of the east African country on September 28, 11 days after falling ill,
the authorities said.
Tests confirmed the presence of the disease two days later.
The
Marburg virus is one of the most deadly known pathogens. Like Ebola, it
causes severe bleeding, fever, vomiting and diarrheoa.
The victim’s brother and one other person he was in contact with have
so far “developed signs” of the disease, the ministry of health said in
a statement.
“So far, a total of 80 people who got into contact
with the initial confirmed case have been identified and isolated for
the 21-day incubation period,” it added.
“These include 38 health workers from Mengo hospital and 22 health workers from Mpigi Health Center IV.”
Like
Ebola, the Marburg virus is transmitted via contact with bodily fluids
and fatality rates range from 25 percent to 80 percent.
Uganda’s
Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said the government could deal with
any outbreak. “Uganda has previously successfully handled similar
situations of health threats involving hemorrhagic fevers,” he wrote on
Twitter.
A Marburg outbreak in Uganda in October 2012 killed 10 people, about half of those who were confirmed infected with the disease.
The Ebola epidemic that has been raging in west Africa has so far
claimed almost 3,500 lives, with Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone worst
hit.
Researchers announced in August that a drug developed by
Canada’s Tekmira Pharmaceuticals helped monkeys survive the deadly
infection in tests.
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