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"Marburg kills 280 (latest numbers)"
news24.com ^ | 3 May 2005 | New24.com
Posted on 05/03/2005 3:37:59 AM PDT by tdewey10
Marburg kills 280 03/05/2005 09:53 - (SA)
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Luanda - The death toll from the outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in Angola has reached 280, most of whom succumbed to the disease in the northern Uige province, the health ministry and the World Health Organisation said late on Monday.
Of the 280 dead, 269 were in Uige province and a further 208 people are under medical observation in that region after coming into contact with an infected person, a statement from the ministry and the WHO said.
There have been a total of 313 cases detected of the Marburg virus since monitoring of the outbreak, the worst ever recorded, began on October 13, it added.
The Ebola-like Marburg virus can kill a healthy person in a week, causing diarrhoea and vomiting followed by severe internal bleeding.
Its exact origin is unknown and there is no cure. The virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, excrement, vomit, saliva, sweat and tears, but can be contained with relatively simple hygenic precautions, according to experts.
Angolan health officials have stressed that corpses present a very high risk of contamination as burial rituals often involve touching the deceased to bid farewell."