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George Mason University's infectious disease expert Amira Roess, PhD, discusses what is currently known about the Marburg virus. For ongoing updates, please consult the CDC website.
What do we know about the Marburg virus disease (MVD) at this time?
Marburg virus disease is a relatively rare but severe hemorrhagic fever. The virus can make people and non-human primates ill (similar to what was observed with Ebola).
How is this virus similar to Ebola?
Marburg virus is similar to Ebola virus in a few ways. They both belong to the filovirus family. They can cause hemorrhagic fever and can be transmitted through close contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated linens or other contaminated objects.
Also, bats are the likely reservoir of both. This means that the bat can carry the virus but not develop symptoms. The bat is able to spread the virus and infect humans that it comes into contact with. Humans can then get sick and can go on to spread the virus to other humans and susceptible species.
Should we be concerned about the virus here in the U.S.?
Public health officials around the world are paying close attention to this outbreak. We are an increasingly connected world, and in a matter of days, a case of any infectious disease can show up. Most Americans do not currently have to be concerned about Marburg. Those who have traveled to places that have current outbreaks and transmission should pay attention to any symptoms that they may develop upon return. The CDC and local health departments are on alert and prioritizing investigations of MVD and are doing what they can to identify suspected cases and stop transmission.
Sporadic MVD outbreaks have historically occurred in sub-Saharan African countries, and most started with mine workers and others who had contact with bats in mines. Often the virus would then spread within their families and communities, and those caring for sick individuals, including healthcare workers. MVD is still relatively rare compared to other viruses.
What precautions can/should we take?
Keep an eye on the CDC website and your local health departments’ websites. They will have reliable and updated information.
Is there anything else you'd like to share at this time?
Unfortunately, we are seeing an increase in emerging infections, and this may be due in part to the increasing encroachment of people into wildlife habitats where reservoirs are thought to be. Outbreaks typically start with a spillover event—a human picks up the virus from an animal reservoir. These events have been increasingly noted partly due to increased contact with wildlife. What really amplifies these outbreaks, though, is increased urbanization and globalization.
Once the spillover event occurs, the infected individual can transmit the virus to their contacts. Historically, we didn’t see large outbreaks because the infected individuals simply didn’t have close contact with many people outside of their household or their local municipality. What we are seeing now, and what we saw with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, is that the increase in urbanization and globalization means that it takes days for viruses to emerge and move with their human host from one side of the globe to another.
This is why we need to prioritize global surveillance (the collection and analysis of data) and cooperation.