Symptoms of the illness include fever, headaches, fatigue and nosebleeds, government chief medical officer Aifello Sichalwe said in a statement on Wednesday. So far 13 cases have been reported in the southeastern Lidi district and at least three people have died. The symptoms indicate some sort of viral hemorrhagic fever, a form of disease that can damage the walls of the victim’s tiny blood vessels, causing them to leak. Four such viruses have been recognized by the World Health Organization as “priority pathogens” with epidemic or pandemic potential – Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever, Marburg and Ebola. However, the patients tested negative for two major hemorrhagic viruses in the region – Ebola and Marburg – according to Mr Sichalwe. They have also tested negative for Covid-19. According to information, one patient has recovered and the others are still in isolation. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, said it’s not yet clear how alarming the cases are. But he added on Twitter: “I would like to state that I am totally against unexplained viral hemorrhagic fevers.” The cases come after Ghana detected the Marburg virus for the first time last week, among two patients who died, sparking a rush to trace possible contacts and fight the outbreak before it spreads. It is only the second time the disease has been identified in West Africa.
Zoonotic outbreaks are on the rise in Africa
On Tuesday, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said the mysterious nosebleeds may have occurred due to “increasing interaction” between humans and wildlife as a result of environmental degradation. Around the world, experts have warned that population growth, the booming economies of previously undeveloped nations, human encroachment on jungles and forests, and the growth of the wildlife trade are leading to an acceleration in the spread of new and existing viruses – with some to describe the 21st century as a new “pandemic era”. And according to a WHO analysis published on Thursday, the threat posed by diseases that jump from animals to humans is growing across Africa. The number of zoonotic outbreaks in the last 10 years has increased by 63 percent, compared to the previous decade. There was a particularly big spike in 2019 and 2020, when half of public health threats were caused by zoonotic diseases – and 70 percent of those were caused by hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola. “Infections originating from animals and then jumping to humans have been occurring for centuries, but the risk of mass infection and death has been relatively limited in Africa – poor transport infrastructure has acted as a natural barrier,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, head of Africa of the WHO. office, he said. “However, with improved transportation in Africa, there is an increased threat of zoonotic pathogens traveling to large urban centers. We must act now to contain zoonotic diseases before they cause widespread infections and prevent Africa from becoming a hotspot for emerging infectious diseases.” Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Insurance
