Rare, highly fatal virus cause by a virus of the Filoviridae family.
The Filoviridae family includes the Ebola virus.
Caused by the Marburg virus, single-stranded, negative sense RNA virus.
Infections occur in Africa as well as sporadically outside Africa in travelers returning home from that continent.
Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a zoonotic infection transmitted to humans from fruit bats the natural reservoir.
Like Ebola this virus hides in nature and appears sporadically and then disappears.
Sudden onset and rapid clinical deterioration are typical, associated is profound hemorrhagic symptoms with high mortality rate.
Fatality rate of recent outbreak as high as 92%.
Infects its host when mucosal surfaces or abraded skin are exposed to infected body fluids.
Human to human transmission can occur through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons.
MVD has an incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days and most report symptom onset between five and 10 days after exposure.
Infection also occurs through parenteral inoculation.
The clinical presentation varies and includes: fever, G.I. symptoms, coagulopathy, and multi organ failure.
A potential exists as an agent of bioterrorism.