Ebola Outbreak Update: Marburg Virus Confirmed in Uganda
Amid disease surveillance for the ongoing Ebola outbreak, Ugandan health authorities identified a case of Marburg virus disease in a one-and-a-half-year-old child, who has died, according to Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Marburg virus is related to Ebolaviruses and causes similar hemorrhagic disease. Its transmission routes and prevention measures are likewise similar.
Africa CDC confirmed no contacts of the deceased toddler had developed symptoms and there were no other current active cases in the country.
The World Health Organization and US embassy in Uganda have also acknowledged the case.
An anonymous source reported Uganda had detected two cases but expressed concerns about travel restrictions and their impact on tourism.
The potential flare of Marburg in Uganda adds to the challenges of responding to the overwhelming Ebola outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.
