First Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea; what should we do to prevent future occurrence?

Abstract

The outbreak of Marburg hemorrhagic fever poses a significant threat to the public’s health and a call for emergency response in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Equatorial Guinea. The World Health Organization (WHO) described the Marburg virus (MARV) as one of the most significant viruses. This virus has been categorized as a pathogen of group 4 risk. Case fatalities range from 24.0% to 88.0% in most sub-Saharan African countries, Equatorial Guinea inclusive. This shows its deadly nature and the necessity for wider information. Being the first time, Equatorial Guinea is experiencing the outbreak of MARV in its country, the government and the people are lacking the preventive measures against MARV in the country, posing a serious public health issue to the government and the people of Equatorial Guinea. Despite the WHO, on June 8, 2023, declaring that MARV in Equatorial Guinea has ended with no new cases reported till date, more outbreaks of the disease in Equatorial Guinea, including other neighboring countries and the world at large, can still occur. This necessitates the aim of this present article.