New Marburg fears in SA

2005-04-07 23:01

Carien du Plessis

Port Elizabeth - New fears were expressed on Thursday that the Marburg virus had reached South African soil when a child in Morningside Clinic in Johannesburg showed symptoms of the infection.

Steps have been taken to prepare provincial hospitals in case haemorrhagic fever is diagnosed.

Solly Mabotha, spokesperson of the national health department, said isolation wards had been prepared in hospitals in all nine provinces and health practitioners had been thoroughly briefed on the symptoms of haemorrhagic fever.

The deadly virus has killed 159 people in Angola, so far, and a man is believed to have died of it in South Africa.

Mabotha said the child "has ties with Angola".

He said, however, that a thorough investigation had indicated that she did not show symptoms of the untreatable haemorrhagic fever, which is caused by the Marburg virus.

There is no laboratory in South Africa that can perform tests for the Marburg virus, it was learned on Thursday.

Mabotha said tissue from the body of Elijah Nongqo, 50, who is believed to have died of the virus infection last week, was sent on Thursday to a laboratory in Atlanta, America, where tests will be carried out.

Laboratories for Angola

The result of these tests will be known only in the next week or two.

Mabotha acknowledged that a Johannesburg laboratory could not handle such tests at present.

Sapa reports that laboratories will be set up in Angola to test for the virus, which means results will be available within two days rather than three weeks, as at present.

Mabotha said the cases involving the disease did illustrate that good communication existed between all role players in the country.

Examination for symptoms

Travellers arriving in South Africa from the high-risk areas are exposed to thorough questioning and examination to ensure they do not have symptoms.

Mabotha said: "It is important that cases are treated immediately as there is no vaccination against the virus."

The Marburg virus is similar to Ebola and is passed through contact with body fluids such as blood, urine or faeces.

Mabotha also said Nongqo's relatives and the health workers who treated him had not yet shown any signs of haemorrhagic fever.

Angola's neighbours on alert

Meanwhile, AFP reports that the World Health Organisation has recommended that four countries around Angola go on a Marburg alert.

Angola is the epicentre of the outbreak, which has so far claimed 174 lives.

"Everybody should be on alert. Not only other provinces in Angola, but all its neighbouring countries - the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia," said Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, the Geneva-based UN health organisation's assistant director general of communicable diseases. - Beeld/AFP

- Die Burger