Good and bad news on Marburg

The outbreak of Marburg virus, which causes a hemorrhagic fever, is still not controlled, but neither is it getting worse, according to a WHO official:

“The situation is improving. We are trying to strengthen our surveillance but the outbreak is not yet over,” Bhatiasevi said by telephone from Uige, the northern Angolan province that is the epicenter of the disease.

“In Uige there are patients being reported every day. We are getting information at an earlier phase instead of getting information when people have (already) died,” she said.

It sounds like the fatality rate is declining as well:

“Yesterday two more people were released from hospital. People are getting better because they are being brought into hospital earlier and being put under hospital care so we are seeing more survivors,” she added.

Given that treatment is only syptomatic, it is also possible, that milder cases are being increasingly recognized.

Overall, I remain hopeful that this outbreak will be brought under control soon.