Angola, Marburg virus outbreak.
 

Don't wonna be a doomsday-reporter, but think this has become serious enough to warn travellers in the area or planning for it. Even if there are only very few.

If you are in the area or if it is on your route you should consider a detour.

Doctors without borders gave a new warning yesterday stating that the outbreak of the virus is not under controll and have spread over more then 7 provinces in Angola. The province of Uige in the North is the epicentre.

The outbreak is going on since 3 months. Wich is in itself not abnormal (Congo 2000 dured about 2 years). But authorities managed to contain the virus more quickly then now. There is a sense in the field this time that they are not getting it under control.

I would take the risc of passing the area. Mortallity is 90% within 48 hours after the onset of the symptoms.

More info:
http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cf...4955DB37EC6EC6

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_04_22/en/index.html

Serious stuff, update today on BBC news email service....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4477609.stm


Transmitted through extremely close contact with blood or other body fluids
Incubation period lasts three to nine days
Symptoms start with severe headache, muscle ache and fever, followed by diarrhoea, abdominal pain and severe haemorrhagic manifestations
In fatal cases, death occurs eight or nine days after onset of symptoms
Source: WHO

[This message has been edited by gozell (edited 25 April 2005).]

Gozell,

This strain of Marburg seems to be considerably more aggressive then those from past outbreaks, cfr. the MSF website.

Reliefworkers from MSF are falling back on canned food only for example.