Two suspected instances of the extremely contagious Marburg virus, which is thought to belong to the same virus family as the one that causes Ebola, have been reported from Ghana.
This follows a preliminary examination that revealed positive results from samples taken from two patients from Ghana's southern Ashanti area who both passed away.
The samples were later sent to the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal, for complete confirmation.
According to a statement from the World Health Organization, the two patients had previously been brought to a nearby hospital with symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
The Marburg virus disease, which the WHO classifies as a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola, is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and is also disseminated by direct contact with infected individuals' bodily fluids and surfaces.
34 contacts have been discovered, according to a graphic web report, and are being quarantined and watched for the maximum incubation period of 21 days.
Marburg has the potential to be exceedingly dangerous and fatal: According to WHO, case fatality rates in previous outbreaks have ranged from 24 to 88 percent.
“Preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway,” WHO said, adding that it is deploying experts to support health authorities in Ghana.
The cases would be the first in Ghana and the second in West Africa if Marburg were determined to be the cause. A solitary case discovered in August of last year was confirmed by Guinea. After five weeks, the WHO pronounced the outbreak in Guinea to be over.
According to WHO, previous Marburg outbreaks and lone cases have been reported in Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda.