Man dies in Uganda from Ebola-like Marburg virus
A hospital technician has died of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Kampala ,
the Ugandan government announced on Sunday, reports AFP.
The man, aged 30, died in the Mengo hospital where he worked
in the capital of the east African country on September 28, 11 days after
falling ill, the authorities said.
Tests confirmed the presence of the disease two days later.
The
The victim's brother and one other person he was in contact
with have so far "developed signs" of the disease, the ministry of
health said in a statement.
"So far, a total of 80 people who got into contact with
the initial confirmed case have been identified and isolated" for the
21-day incubation period, it added.
"These include 38 health workers from Mengo hospital
and 22 health workers from Mpigi Health Center IV."
Like Ebola, the Marburg
virus is transmitted via contact with bodily fluids and fatality rates range
from 25 percent to 80 percent.
A Marburg outbreak in Uganda in
October 2012 killed 10 people, about half of those who were confirmed infected
with the disease.
The Ebola epidemic that has been raging in West Africa has
so far claimed almost 3,500 lives, with Liberia ,
Guinea and Sierra Leone
worst hit.
Researchers announced in August that a drug developed by Canada 's Tekmira Pharmaceuticals helped monkeys
survive the deadly Marburg
infection in tests.
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