Doctors Warned Untreatable Ebola-Like Marburg Virus Could Spread To US

The Centers for Disease Control issued an alert Thursday (April 6) warning doctors to be on the lookout for cases of Marburg virus in the United States, NBC News reports.

Marbug virus, like Ebola, is a viral hemorrhagic fever, which can cause internal bleeding and result in damage to multiple organ systems. In February, the first-ever public outbreak of Marburg virus was confirmed in the Western African country of Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania in March, with neither country having previously reported cases before 2023.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to inform clinicians and public health departments in the United States about two confirmed outbreaks of Marburg virus disease (MVD)—one in Equatorial Guinea and one in Tanzania," the CDC wrote.

Tanzania's health ministry initially confirmed a cluster of Marburg virus cases in the northwest Kagera region on March 21, with eight total cases linked to the outbreak, including five that were fatal. Guinea has confirmed 14 Marburg cases since February 7, including 10 that were fatal.

"Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that these two outbreaks are related; most experts agree that these represent two independent animal-to-human spillover events," the CDC added. "To date, no confirmed cases of MVD related to these outbreaks have been reported in the United States or other countries outside Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. This Health Advisory provides information about these outbreaks to increase awareness of the risk of imported cases in the United States."

Marburg virus is considered zoonotic as it can spread between humans and animals and, along with the six species of Ebola virus, is part of the filovirus family, which causes severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans and primates. The rare disease was initially identified in 1967 following simultaneous outbreaks in laboratories in Marburg, Germany, as well as Belgrade, Syria, which resulted in seven deaths among 31 infections, according to the CDC.

The incubation period for Marburg disease is reported to be anywhere between two days and three weeks, according to the WHO. Symptoms, including intense fever and headache, are reported to start abruptly, while many patients have experienced vomiting diarrhea and stomach pain a few days after the onset, which is reported to last up to a week.

Severe cases could result in bleeding within the first week as some patients vomit blood or have it present in their stool, as well as from their gums, nose and genitalia. Marburg disease is reported to spread through the nervous system, which leads to patients experiencing confusion, irritability and aggression.