# Marburg Outbreak in Africa **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 28, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566 "2005-03-28T05:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/1 "2005-03-28T05:13:02Z")
[Lost in the ‘All Terri. All the time.’ news coverage is that Marburg’s rearing it’s ugly head again.](http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=16517) > [@](#): > > WHO describes the virus as “rapidly fatal” and says it kills victims within three to seven days of emergence of symptoms. It belongs to the same class as the Ebola virus, both of which cause haemorrhagic fever. > > Patients meet a painful death: They bleed to death through the skin and other body openings. It has no cure or vaccine. > > Kenya took the action soon after March 21 when laboratory tests confirmed several people who have died in Angola since November, last year, were infected with the virus. Fatality rates for this outbreak are hovering around the mid-nineties. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/2 "2005-03-28T05:47:34Z")
_shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/3 "2005-03-28T05:53:01Z")
Been reading about it for almost a week. Hey, I regularly read international news. Unless there is a dramatic turn, I doubt it even makes page three of the US media. Out of sight, out of mind. After all, the bird flu is still below much of the US media radar. Did you know reports are now coming out of North Korea? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/4 "2005-03-28T05:58:29Z")
Yeah, I’d heard about that, and I don’t doubt that it’s been running amok there for a while before the NK’s reported it. Bird flu doesn’t bother me quite as much as Marburg or Ebola. Both of those diseases strike me as particular nasty ways to die, and when you add in the fact that at least in the case of Ebola, they’ve very little idea where the virus “hangs out” when it’s not infecting people, it gets really scary. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/5 "2005-03-28T06:13:54Z")
This class of viruses are fucking terrifying. From what I’ve heard, they’re not spread via airborne particles (in other words, outbreaks are somewhat ‘self-limiting’.) Let’s hope they never are, otherwise there may be an epidemic situation developing. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/6 "2005-03-28T06:15:43Z")
These don’t scare me so much, other than in the shudder-late-at-night way, because they tend to kill people too quickly to hang around for too long. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/7 "2005-03-28T06:58:44Z")
For those that are interested about the subject: [The Hot Zone](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385479565/104-5070154-6731123) ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/8 "2005-03-28T07:53:55Z")
That book is soo not for the queasy. Good (but scary!) read though. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/9 "2005-03-28T09:15:36Z")
**TastesLikeBurning** , _The Hot Zone_ is embellished to some degree. [_The Coming Plague_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-8625456-4819218), gives a more factual account, which makes all the more chilling. Especially since the outbreak of hemorrhagic fever the group is studying is in South America. Yes, there are new world strains as well. There is also an airborne strain, but its limited to monkeys. It doesn’t infect humans. It was named for the region of its first documented outbreak; somewhere in New Jersey, I think. Its horror novel scary. The only thing that keeps it from wiping us off the face of the is its own virilance. It outruns its host. It kills so fast, that no one has the opportunity to carry it beyond the local outbreak area. Here are some [reviews](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-8625456-4819218) if anyone is interested. The symptoms are similar to those seen in [Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000573.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/10 "2005-03-28T12:56:20Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > **TastesLikeBurning** , \*It was named for the region of its first documented outbreak; somewhere in New Jersey, I think. Reston, Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/11 "2005-03-28T13:11:14Z")
I’m well aware of this. The first known outbeak of Marburg’s Disease appeared in animal handlers in Marburg, Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/12 "2005-04-04T00:38:46Z")
News Update–Marburg outbreak spreads rapidly. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4397891.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4397891.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/13 "2005-04-04T01:07:43Z")
> [@TastesLikeBurning](#): > > For those that are interested about the subject: > > [The Hot Zone](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385479565/104-5070154-6731123) I read that book years ago during jury duty. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/14 "2005-04-04T12:05:43Z")
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4407461.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4407461.stm) Medical notes on Marburg’s [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical\_notes/4408289.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/4408289.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/15 "2005-04-09T22:49:53Z")
Update–things have taken a horrifying new turn. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4429011.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4429011.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/16 "2005-04-09T23:46:31Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Update–things have taken a horrifying new turn. > > [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4429011.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4429011.stm) From your link > [@](#): > > The WHO said people in northern Uige province, where most of the cases have been reported, had attacked its mobile surveillance vehicles. > > Locals may believe WHO staff had brought the disease, an official said. Wow. Just wow. ---
**Author:** ![EmeraldGrue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@EmeraldGrue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmeraldGrue)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/17 "2005-04-10T02:18:53Z")
Nightmarish. I’ve been watching my major newssite RSS feeds for any mention of Angola. It showed up in the Beeb feed today, but for the past few weeks I’ve been Googling for the news. Nothing on the outbreak for all the Terri, Pope and royal wedding coverage. This being mentioned on TV any? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/18 "2005-04-12T12:04:56Z")
Fear rules unchallenged. _Families hide victims from medical help_! :eek: :eek: :eek: [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7462784/](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7462784/) Marburgs spreads. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/19 "2005-04-12T12:22:17Z")
They finally reported on this in today’s Boston Globe. They also showed a map that indicated the different outbreaks. I note that they did _not_ include the outbreak in Reston, Virginia (as recounted in the aforementioned **The Hot Zone** ). Why? Because it was only among monkeys? Because it wasn’t in Africa (naah – they included the Marburg breakout). I think they thought that people would freak if they learned there had been a case inside the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566/20 "2005-04-13T01:42:04Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They finally reported on this in today’s Boston Globe. They also showed a map that indicated the different outbreaks. I note that they did _not_ include the outbreak in Reston, Virginia (as recounted in the aforementioned **The Hot Zone** ). > > Why? Because it was only among monkeys? Because it wasn’t in Africa (naah – they included the Marburg breakout). I think they thought that people would freak if they learned there had been a case inside the U.S. IIRC from the book I read, the Reston VA outbreak never actually infected any humans for some arcane reason. One person was thought to have been, but turned out to be sick from a completely different thing. Those involved breathed a sign of relief and figured they had just dodged a honkin’ big bullet. They completely disinfected the building, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marburg-outbreak-in-africa/296566.md?page=2)