Tests done in Ghana were positive, but those results must be confirmed by a laboratory in Senegal for the cases to be considered confirmed, the WHO said in a statement. The two patients in the southern Ashanti region both had symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting before they died in hospital, the statement said. If the cases are confirmed, this would be only the second outbreak of Marburg in West Africa. The first case of the virus was detected last year in Guinea, with no other cases detected. “Preparations for a potential response to the outbreak are being made rapidly as further investigations are underway,” the WHO said. There have been twelve major outbreaks of Marburg since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. Case fatality rates range from 24% to 88% in previous outbreaks, depending on the strain of the virus and case management, according to the WHO. (Reporting by Aaron Ross; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
