Marburg virus is a rare, yet deadly Ebola-like pathogen that has recently caused alarm among African countries. With two concurrent outbreaks in Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, this mysterious illness presents an urgent opportunity for the continent to develop treatment options.
Since it was first identified 53 years ago, only a few cases have been reported – making these recent occurrences all the more concerning. The virus is typically transmitted through bodily fluids and symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, hemorrhaging and more. It’s time to mobilise research and innovation in the African healthcare sector before it’s too late; lives depend on it.
Tanzania seems to have brought its cases under control, with very few left in quarantine; but in Equatorial Guinea the spread is ongoing.
There are no treatments or vaccines for Marburg. So far, no vaccine supplier has been able to deliver a vaccine candidate during the current outbreaks, but some countries in Africa are well-positioned to invest in clinical research.
Learning from COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across Africa, countries were quick to respond by building up their PCR testing and infectious disease tracking capabilities. Now that Marburg cases have begun appearing on the continent, this is a moment when African clinical researchers can step in with training for rapid response teams ready to spring into action – bolstering preparedness with increased screenings and community outreach efforts, without putting further strain upon healthcare systems. Doing so will help prevent regional risks from escalating even further.
The Côte d’Ivoire Case Study
The speed with which Côte d’Ivoire ramped up vaccination of high-risk populations in Abidjan, where an Ebola outbreak was declared in 2021, was remarkable and shows that with effective sub-regional expertise, African communities can adopt measures to extinguish lethal infections that can turn into outbreaks.
Côte d’Ivoire is one of six West African countries that have made great strides in improving and scaling national epidemic preparedness and response to Ebola. Their investments in a comprehensive, clinical, systems-strengthening approach can serve as a model in West Africa.
Recognising and building on existing community knowledge and structures is essential and can help to ensure response activities are as appropriate, relevant, and prepared to meet African socioeconomic contexts.
