Marburg virus

The Marburg fever is a notifiable viral disease.

Pathogen

It is caused by Marburg virus, belonging to the family Filoviridae enveloped single (-)- strand RNA virus ( ss ( - ) RNA ), ( single-stranded RNA complementary to the mRNA ).

The reservoir, from which the virus is until today not determined unequivocally. Probably the carriers of Nilflughund, a bat that is found in Europe and Africa.

Origin and Distribution

The virus probably originates from Central Africa. Very likely it was founded in 1967 with experimental monkeys ( monkeys ) have spread from Uganda in the laboratories of the pharmaceutical company Behringwerke Marburg in Hesse. The consequence of disease, Marburg fever, appeared first at the laboratory technicians working there on, and the virus was subsequently identified in the tropics Clinic of Marburg for the first time. Therefore, it has received the name of Marburg virus. The fever came later on in Frankfurt am Main and in Belgrade. Of the then 31 patients died seven.

Transmission

The Marburg virus is transmitted through close contact with infected people, particularly through their body fluids and excretions by smear infection or contact infection.

Disease symptoms and course

The viruses infect the human body, the lining of blood vessels and certain immune cells. After a typically three to nine, with a maximum 21-day incubation period, the first non-specific symptoms that are similar to the initial clinical pictures of malaria, typhoid and yellow fever. These symptoms include severe diarrhea, watery, abdominal pain, vomiting, severe chest and lung pains, sore throat and cough. With a high percentage of those infected, the virus hemorrhagic fever triggers high five to seven days after onset of disease, which attacks mainly the gastrointestinal tract and the lungs. This is followed usually several hemorrhages. Most sufferers die within the last mentioned period. The high mortality of this disease is at least 25-30 %, but often at 70-80 %, and suggests how the Ebola virus that the Marburg virus has not yet adapted to humans. The damage to his host up to his death is not advantageous effect of a virus because it is dependent on these host for its own reproduction.

Therapy

A successful therapy after disease onset is not known.

Prevention

In early 2005, scientists Steven Jones and Heinz Feldmann ( University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada ) is a successful vaccination ( active immunization) in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) with an attenuated, live, recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus ( VSV ), which on its surface a so-called glycoprotein of Marburg virus strain " Musoke " produced.

In April 2006, research by scientists from the U.S. and Canada have been published, where it is possible to develop a vaccine against the Marburg virus. In animal studies, the vaccine worked in post -exposure prophylaxis to be effective.

History

The largest outbreaks of the disease were the above Europe in 1967 and 1998 continued to 2000 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo with a total of 149 patients, of whom 123 died.

Since October 2004, the disease occurs in the northern part of Angola. According to the Angolan Ministry of Health in April 2005 already 210 people, including especially children died of 231 patients registered so far under five. A particular problem is the refusal of the population to isolate the infected. As part of the families for burial with the personal farewell hug etc., it is extremely difficult to ensure the actually immediately necessary funeral, which significantly increases the risk of infection.

In July 2008, a woman fell ill from the Netherlands and died shortly after the detection of infection. She lit probably on a trip to Uganda, where she visited a cave among others, in which many were staying bats. In the past year the Marburg pathogen had been found in Uganda in living in caves bats.