MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/. The risk of a disease caused by the Marburg virus, the first case of which was detected in Guinea, spreading worldwide is very low. There have been no cases of the disease registered in Russia and its emergence in the country is highly unlikely, the Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute Microbe told reporters on Tuesday.
On Monday, the WHO reported that the first case of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, also known as "the green monkey disease" was documented in Guinea. The pathogen belongs to the same class as the virus causing Ebola fever.
"The risk of spreading worldwide as well as the risk of importing the infection to the Russian Federation is extremely low," the institute’s statement said. The institute emphasized that "no cases of the disease caused by the Marburg virus have been recorded on the territory of the Russian Federation."
The institute also noted that the cases of the disease caused by the Marburg virus had been encountered only in African countries. The last three cases were detected in Uganda in 2017. At the same time, the only time the infection was imported beyond Africa was to the US and the Netherlands in 2008.
Modern medical science thinks that the Marburg virus is transmitted to humans from bats. It then spreads among humans via direct contact with an infected individual. The disease begins suddenly with a high body temperature and a strong headache, according to WHO specialists. For seven days, the infected develop the signs of hemorrhagic fever. The lethality of Marburg fever is from 24% to 88% depending on the viral strain and treatment methods. There are no vaccines or medications yet against this form of hemorrhagic fever. The treatment involves general life support.