The Marburg virus, also known as the 'bleeding eyes' virus due to one of its symptoms, has already claimed 15 lives in Rwanda
Three deadly viruses have triggered a global health alert after rapidly spreading across 17 countries, infecting thousands and killing dozens.
The Marburg virus, also known as the 'bleeding eyes' virus, has claimed 15 lives in Rwanda, where hundreds are feared to be infected with the deadly disease. The virus, which has a 50% fatality rate, is now threatening to spread to other African nations already battling other outbreaks.
The Mpox clade one virus has also been detected in seven African countries - Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, and Uganda.
Meanwhile, the Oropouche virus is being spread by midge bites in several South American countries and a Caribbean state. Over 10,000 people in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, and Peru have been infected this year, with a small number of fatalities reported.
According to The Mirror, Marburg can be spread through contact with broken skin, blood, secretions, bodily fluids, and mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth of infected people. Symptoms include fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, and severe watery diarrhea. From the fifth day, symptoms may include fresh blood in vomit and feces, bleeding from the nose, gums, vagina, eyes, mouth, and ears, internal bleeding, confusion, irritability, aggression, or inflammation of the testicles.
The Mpox virus, on the other hand, is spread through close sexual and non-sexual contact. Symptoms might not appear until up to 21 days after being infected. The most obvious and common symptom is a rash that can last for a month. Other symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, shivering, exhaustion, and joint pain.
For Oropouche, symptoms appear around three to ten days after being infected and last for up to a week. Symptoms include fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a rash.
