What to know about Marburg disease

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Twenty-six people in Rwanda have contracted Marburg disease, and eight of them have died, according to the CDC and Rwanda health officials.

Marburg virus disease is a rare, severe viral hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, which is spread by certain types of bats in various African countries, health officials said.

There are no cases in the U.S.

The disease is spread from infected Egyptian rousette bats to people via saliva, urine, and feces of infected bats. Once the disease has been transmitted from wildlife to people, those who are sick can spread the disease to other people.

Between 20% to 90% of patients with the disease will die.

“It can cause deadly infections in people,” according to the CDC.

Here is what to know about Marburg disease:

Signs and symptoms

• Fever
• Chills
• Headaches
• Muscle aches
• Rash with both flat and raised bumps, often on the torso
• Chest pain
• Sore throat
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea

When do Marburg disease symptoms show?

Most people will experience symptoms between 2-21 days after infection.

How to prevent Marburg disease

Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of sick people, with Egyptian rousette bats, and non-human primates in areas where Marburg disease is found.

Don’t have contact with semen from a person who recovered from Marburg virus disease until testing shows that the virus is gone from their semen. Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s body fluids.

Treatment for Marburg disease

There is no treatment or vaccine. Managing the illness includes rest, hydration, managing oxygen status and blood pressure, and treatment of secondary infections.

Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.

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