What is Marburg virus? Fears at Hamburg train station highlight deadly disease
Marburg virus is a rare but extremely deadly disease, similar to Ebola. It is spread through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva and urine, or through broken skin. The virus causes serious symptoms, including high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding. With an average mortality rate of around 50%, it poses a serious threat to public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that outbreaks of the virus can be devastating if not quickly brought under control.
The Marburg virus has recently caused concern in Europe. At Hamburg Central Station in northern Germany, a train platform was closed after fears a passenger might have the virus. A man and his girlfriend, who were traveling by high-speed train from Frankfurt, developed flu-like symptoms. Authorities said the couple had recently returned from Rwanda, where they treated a man who later developed an infectious disease.
Rwanda is currently grappling with an outbreak of the Marburg virus, which has killed at least eight people. Although the man and his girlfriend did not have a fever, they were quickly taken to a specialist clinic to be examined. Emergency services, including police and firefighters, responded to the scene and platform 4 at Hamburg station was temporarily closed as a precaution. It was then reopened once the situation was under control.
Marburg virus was first identified in 1967, during outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, as well as in Serbia, when laboratory workers were infected through contact with African green monkeys. Although not airborne, the virus can spread rapidly through close contact with infected people, making it a serious public health problem.
As travel and connections increase globally, incidents like the one in Hamburg remind us of the risks posed by infectious diseases. Marburg virus, although rare, is deadly and containment measures are crucial to prevent its spread.
