Ekeomah Atuonwu
The Marburg virus disease is not present in Ghana, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
This comes after the sole survivor among those who acquired the illness was successfully released from the hospital.
At a news conference on Friday, September 16, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, director general of the Ghana Health Service, made the statement.
“On this day, the 16th day of September 2022, I Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service on behalf of the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu together with our partners do hereby declare the initial outbreak of Marburg virus is over.”
He also said the only survivor has been reunited with his family.
“The only survivor of the three has since recovered from the disease following two negative tests carried out 48 hours apart on the 3rd and 6th of August 2022 respectively, by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). Ghana, therefore, has no case of MVD,” he added.
AEM reported in July that the country declared the outbreak of the virus.
After that, three cases were documented, with the most recent one occurring on July 21, 2022. Sadly, two of the three patients who had the condition passed away.
A total of 198 contacts were found throughout four districts (Adansi North and South, Prestea Huni Valley, and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba), 118 of which have now been released after completing the required 21 days of follow-up.
In accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, if there are no additional cases 42 days after the final negative test, the outbreak will be said to have ended.
