Symptoms of lethal Marburg virus together with ‘bleeding eyes’ as warning issued

A travel warning has been issued due to the ongoing spread of Marburg, Mpox and Oropouche, with 17 countries now affected. The Marburg virus, also known as the “bleeding eyes” virus due to one of its symptoms, has claimed 15 lives in Rwanda, where hundreds are believed to be infected.

There are fears that this deadly disease, which carries a 50-50 death risk, could soon spread to other African nations currently dealing with other outbreaks. Mpox clade 1 has also been detected in Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Uganda and Kenya. Previously confined to five African countries, there have already been five confirmed cases in the UK this year. The latest case was identified today in Leeds from an individual who recently returned from Uganda.

Four others were members of the same household in London who had returned from Africa in October. Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.”

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The risk to the UK remains low, but Travel Health Pro has issued a warning for travellers to and from the country to exercise extra caution. With no pre-travel vaccine available for mpox in the UK, it’s recommended that people consult with a health professional about their fitness to travel before jetting off, reports the Mirror.

Midge bites are also spreading the Oropouche virus across several South American countries and a Caribbean state popular with tourists. Over 10,000 people in Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic have been infected this year.

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There are no specific treatments or vaccines for the virus and it has resulted in some fatalities. Travel Health Pro cautioned that while Marburg “is rare and very unusual in travellers, sporadic cases have been reported in travellers who spent prolonged periods in mines or caves inhabited by bat colonies”.

Symptoms include fever, severe headaches, severe malaise, muscle aches and pains. Other symptoms appearing later on can be severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, vomiting, non-itchy rash. After the fifth day, some other symptoms include fresh blood in vomit and faeces, bleeding from the nose, gums, vagina, eyes, mouth and ears, internal bleeding, confusion, irritability, aggression or inflammation of the testicles.

The most obvious and common symptom is a rash that can last for a month. It looks like blisters and sores, affecting the face, palms, soles of feet, groin, genitals and anal area. Other symptoms are a high temperature, a headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, shivering, exhaustion and joint pain.

For Oropouche, it’s believed the first symptoms appear around three to 10 days and last for up to a week. Symptoms include a fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea, vomiting and a rash.

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