The World Health Organization (WHO) announced an emergency meeting on Tuesday after nine people died in a month in Equatorial Guinea from the Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever almost as deadly as Ebola, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Marburg viruses under the microscopePhoto: CDC / Sciencephoto / Profimedia Images

In a brief statement, the WHO said it would convene an emergency meeting on Tuesday of the so-called Marvac consortium, which promotes international cooperation to develop vaccines against the Marburg virus. The consortium is coordinated by WHO and includes representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, non-profit organizations, authorities and academia.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 15:00 (14:00 GMT). Consortium members will assess the epidemiological situation in Equatorial Guinea, as well as available treatments and vaccine candidates, WHO said.

There are no vaccines or antiviral drugs approved to treat this virus. However, supportive therapy – oral or intravenous rehydration – and treatment of specific symptoms increase the chances of survival.

A number of potential treatments are being evaluated, including blood products, immunotherapy and drugs, as well as vaccine candidates, according to the WHO.

State of emergency due to the Marburg virus

On February 13, Equatorial Guinea announced the death of nine people in the east of the country between January 7 and February 7 due to the Marburg virus. This is, according to the WHO, “the first epidemic of Marburg hemorrhagic fever” in this small African country located in the central-western part of the continent.

Equatorial Guinea has declared a “medical alert” in Ki-Ntem province and neighboring Mongomo district, and authorities have implemented an isolation plan in close cooperation with the WHO to deal with the outbreak in the equatorial forested area in the east of the country. the mainland of the country, which also includes the two main islands.

Ghana itself declared a state of emergency after several cases were detected last summer, but the number of infections is under control and the spread of the virus has been contained.