Mzuzu Central Hospital isolates 5 over suspected Marburg infection

Mzuzu Central Hospital has isolated five patients over suspected cases of Marburg virus infections.

According to an internal memo issued by the hospital’s Director, Ted Bandawe, the patients are coming from different places, and some are being treated for typhoid fever and adult measles.

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The memo also indicates that the hospital is taking precautionary measures, and a team from the Public Health Institute of Malawi is on the ground working with the facility and Mzimba North DHO.

Bandawe urged the staff to be vigilant with infection prevention measures.

“We would like to ask everyone to continue doing health surveillance and adhere to infection prevention measures,” part of the memo reads.

Despite the alarming situation, the hospital director is optimistic about the patients’ progress.

“The first two who presented with bleeding are doing very well for all the bleeding has stopped. The other three family members did not present with any bleeding.”

Marburg virus is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever virus of the Filoviridae family of viruses, and it is considered to be extremely dangerous.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Tanzania, the virus has killed five people, and three further cases were reported at a hospital in the country’s north-west Kagera region in March.

The World Health Organization reports that approximately 161 people have been identified as at risk of infection in Tanzania.