Bat Source: TFP File Photo

CDC Issues Health Advisory On Marburg Virus Disease

Marburg virus can be transmitted to people from infected African fruit batsTrusted Source or their urine and/or excretions. CDC
Marburg virus can be transmitted to people from infected African fruit bats
 or their urine and/or excretions. Source: TFP File Photo

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing an alert in the United States about two confirmed outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD)—one in Equatorial Guinea and one in Tanzania

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that these two outbreaks are related; most experts agree that these represent two independent animal-to-human spillover events.

To date, no confirmed cases of MVD related to these outbreaks have been reported in the United States or other countries outside Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania.

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The Health Advisory provides information about these outbreaks to increase awareness of the risk of imported cases in the United States.

The Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis is a rare and severe form of the disease, characterized by extensive and fulminant acute demyelination, often resulting in death within one year after the onset of clinical signs.

It is considered one of the multiple sclerosis borderline diseases, which is a collection of diseases classified by some as MS variants and by others as different diseases.

The disease is thought to be autoimmune and affects young adults and children more commonly than other forms of MS.

The illness, like the related Ebola, originated in bats and can spread among humans via close contact with infected bodily fluids and surfaces.

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Early symptoms associated with MVD are similar to other illnesses associated with fever in returning
travelers.

MVD is rare; patients with suspected symptoms should be asked a detailed travel history and
should be tested for other conditions and treated accordingly.

Clinical laboratories can safely perform common diagnostic testing for patients with suspected MVD by following Standard Precautions for All Patient Care and Universal Precautions for Preventing Transmission of Bloodborne Infections.

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