FILE - Colorized scanning electron micrograph of Marburg virus particles (yellow) both budding and attached to the surface of infected VERO E6 cells (blue). (IMAGE POINT FR/NIH/NIAID/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Two suspected cases of the Marburg virus were reported in Cameroon in addition to the outbreak in neighboring Equatorial Guinea, according to multiple reports.
The World Health Organization officially declared Equatorial Guinea’s first-ever outbreak of Marburg disease on Feb. 13, saying the Ebola-related virus is responsible for at least nine deaths in the tiny Western African country.
The U.N. health agency confirmed the epidemic after samples from Equatorial Guinea were sent to a lab in Senegal to pinpoint the cause of disease after an alert from a local health official last week.
The WHO said there were currently nine deaths and 16 suspected cases with symptoms including fever, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting.