Accra, July 29, GNA-The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has confirmed that repeat test results from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) for the fourth case of Marburg Virus Disease was negative.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to three (3). All three cases are related – father, mother and son.

A statement issued in Accra and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has said.

The GHS on July 24, 2022, reported four cases of Marburg Virus Discase (MVD) after test results from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) showed positive.

The second case, a 51-year-old male with a known chronic disease, not linked to the first case is awaiting re-testing.

“The summaries of the cases are as follows: Case one: A 26-year-old male, got ill on 22 June 2022 and later bled from the nose and mouth, was admitted to a hospital in Ashanti Region on 26 June 2022 and died 28 hours after admission.

“Case two: A one-year two-month-old contact of Case 1 (son of Case 1); got ill and was admitted on 17 July 2022. He died on the third day of admission.

“Case three: A 24-year-old female (mother of Case 2 and wife of Case 1). She is alive and well and has since Tuesday 26th July 2022 been in a government-designated isolation centre, and being managed with full implementation of strict infection prevention and control measures,” it stated.

The statement noted that 118 contacts were initially identified and followed up, including the two who later tested positive in case two and case three.

It said the remaining 116 contacts had completed the mandatory 21-day follow-up and were well.

The statement said 16 contacts, including healthcare workers, had been randomly tested and were all negative and that a new set of 81 contacts for case two and case three were currently under follow up.

It stated that efforts were ongoing to identify additional contacts, if any and that Ghana, in collaboration with its partners, had demonstrated capacity to respond to public health emergencies.

“Our resilient health system has been responsible for the early detection of and prompt response to outbreaks, including the current MVD,” it added.

According to the statement, a number of healthcare workers had been trained on the management of viral haemorhagic fevers across the country even before the first MVD was detected.

It said Ghana’s National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre had been activated and was at the fore in the planning and implementation of the response measures in collaboration with the partners.

The statement noted that national support teams had also been deployed to the affected regions to provide the necessary support to ensure containment of the outbreak.

It assured the public that all efforts were being made to prevent any further spread of cases and encouraged the populace to report to the nearest health facility if unwell for appropriate care.

“The Service remains committed to protecting the health of Ghana’s population and will continue to implement measures to attain and maintain this,” it added.

Marburg virus is a hemorrhagic fever virus of the Filoviridae family of viruses and a member of the species Marburg marburgvirus, genus Marburgvirus.

The virus can be transmitted by exposure to one species of fruit bats, body fluids through unprotected sex and broken skin.

The disease can cause bleeding (haemorrhage), fever, and other symptoms similar to Ebola.

Source: Ghana News Agency