Marburg fever outbreak in Equatorial Guinea widens, WHO reports
The ongoing Marburg fever outbreak in Equatorial Guinea is significantly larger than has previously been acknowledged, according to new information released Wednesday by the World Health Organization, which warned there may be undetected chains of transmission of the deadly virus in the West African country.
The update, the first in nearly a month, shows that the number of confirmed and probable cases has grown from nine to 29, with cases having been reported in three different provinces over a range of about 90 miles. Some have links to known cases, others do not.
“The wide geographic distribution of cases and uncertain epidemiological links in Centre Sur province suggests the potential for undetected community spread of the virus,” the WHO said in the statement. “WHO assesses the risk posed by the outbreak as very high at the national level, moderate at the regional level, and low at the global level.”
All three provinces share international crossings with Cameroon and Gabon. “Cross-border population movements are frequent, and the borders are very porous. Although no [Marburg] cases have been reported outside Equatorial Guinea the risk of international spread cannot be ruled out,” the WHO said.
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