“Marburg Virus Is As Deadly As Ebola” – GHS
Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, has warned that the newly discovered Marburg Virus is as dangerous as the deadly Ebola virus.
The GHS about a month ago announced in a news release the discovery of a strange virus suspected to be Marburg Virus. Reports say the two victims earlier diagnosed with the disease have both passed on.
As a matter of urgency, he disclosed that his outfit has commissioned a surveillance team to track persons who may have come into contact with the victims to halt the spread of the virus in the country, adding that contacts traced would be quarantined with immediate effect.
Speaking on Opemsuo Radio, he explained that the World Health Organization (WHO) has realized that the world is encroaching on the sinus infection stage and transmitting diseases from Animals to the human race gradually.
He emphasized that the country discovered its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti region but for now everything is in order since the two people who contracted the virus are no more alive.
Dr. Kuma Aboagye revealed that the highly infectious Marburg disease is found in fruit Bats just as the Ebola
According to him, when the country recorded the two cases his outfit did an immediate contact tracing and quarantined those 98 people that came into contact with them.
He said the virus has an incubation period of between 2 and 21days.
Dr. Patrick Kuma said that Ghana Health Service has started creating awareness and educating the public concerning the deadly virus and urged people to adhere to the protocols.
The GHS Director narrated that the service has alerted all the health centers and Regional Directors to be self-conscious in reading the pattern of the virus and its possible second arrival and spreading in the country.
He cautioned the Ghanaian citizenry to cook all meats properly before eating them.
Source: Opemsuo.com/Barbara M.A Amoah
