The Vice President of the Republic, Nguema Obiang Mangue, donates his salary to the efforts to contain the Marburg virus in the province of Kie-Ntem. This was during the working session he held this Wednesday with the members of the Political Committee on Health Emergencies of the country, who presented the action plan to manage the health alert caused by the hemorrhagic fever.
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In addition to instructing in detail each sector represented at the dialogue table of this meeting, Nguema Obiang Mangue has reiterated the relevance of a third shipment of samples to confirm the result of the laboratory in Dakar, Senegal; since there are other results made in a certified laboratory in Gabon came out negative; a situation that, due to the seriousness of the virus, must be treated with the greatest possible certainty.
In response to the needs of the moment, the Vice-President of the Republic together with the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Damaso Mitoha Ondo Ayecaba, have detailed the timetable to be followed and the concrete actions to be taken to safeguard the lives of more than 1512 inhabitants of the affected villages spread between Ebibeyin, Nsok-Nsomo and Mongomo, who are currently restricted in their movements.
In this context, the Government’s priority is to contain the virus and supply the population affected by the 45-day quarantine, providing food, drinking water, health care and fuel for the duration of this period. Likewise, to evaluate the epidemiological situation in order to lift the health alert if conditions improve. Since Saturday to date, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (Minsabs), there has been no death or severity of any confirmed suspected case.
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The challenge of this alert lies, according to the WHO expert at the meeting, in two aspects: the extreme care of health workers in the red zones during the exercise of their work and cutting the chain of contagion among the sick.
The contingency plan involves the Ministries of Security, Social Affairs, Information, Press and Radio, Finance, Justice, Interior and Local Corporations, Minsabs, among others; and so far, sub-regional and international organizations such as the WHO, the Red Cross, the Cuban Medical Brigade or UNICEF have shown their support to the country, expressing their availability to help, if needed. It is currently estimated that more than 210 families will be under quarantine, and it is of utmost importance to prevent the spread of the disease to the rest of the country.
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The period between infection and the appearance of the first symptoms of the Marburg virus ranges from 2 to 21 days. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, risk of fainting, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, severe hemorrhagic manifestations in vomit, stools or regular nosebleeds. Its average case fatality rate is 88%.
Source:AHORAEG
