Malawi screens Marburg disease

Ministry of health says has capacity in all points of entry to screen and detect cases of Marburg disease that has killed five people in Tanzania

Secretary for health Dr Charles Mwansambo says the ministry in collaboration with world health Organisation and Africa centres for disease control and prevention to monitor the situation in Tanzania

Dr Mwansambo has urged Malawians to take care of themselves to avoid contracting Marburg virus disease by practicing preventive measures

These include avoiding close contact, touching bodily fluids, hand washing with soap and safe burial of suspected and confirmed Marburg deaths

He says case fatality rate is around 50 percent and there is no vaccine or specific approved treatment for Marburg virus disease

However supportive management like rehydration, pain relief, and other forms of symptomatic treatment improve survival

Signs and symptoms of Marburg disease which is in the same family of Ebola Virus are bleeding, vomiting, joint and muscle pain, high fever and headache among others.