The first cases of this type of hemorrhagic fever were confirmed in February on the mainland of Equatorial Guinea. According to the World Health Organization, three Equatorial Guinean provinces are now affected: Littoral, Centro-Sur, and Kié-Ntem. All three provinces border Gabon and Cameroon.
Equatorial Guinea announced two additional deaths from the Marburg virus on Wednesday, March 30, bringing the number of deaths officially attributed to the disease to nine.
Given the distance between the different confirmed cases, namely more than a hundred kilometers, the Director General of the World Health Organization, the Ethiopian Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed this week his concern about a wider transmission of the virus in Equatorial Guinea. Adding that “WHO is aware of additional cases and we have asked the government to officially report these cases to the organization.”
Yesterday, the Equatoguinean Ministry of Health announced thirteen confirmed cases including nine deaths, and more than 800 contacts followed.