Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola.
In the southern Ashanti area hospital, it is reported that both patients recently passed away.
Their samples tested positive earlier this month, and a Senegalese laboratory has since confirmed this, according to BBC News.
According to health officials in the country of West Africa, 98 individuals are currently in isolation due to suspected contact cases.
Although there is currently no cure for Marburg, doctors advise addressing certain symptoms and drinking lots of fluids to increase a patient’s chance of survival.
The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.
It is a severe, often fatal illness with symptoms including headache, fever, muscle pains, vomiting blood and bleeding.
Officials are warning people to keep away from caves and to thoroughly cook all meat products before consuming them.
In Africa, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, the WHO says. The first ever Marburg outbreak was in Germany in 1967 where seven people died.
According to the international health organization, Angola saw the bloodiest outbreak on record in 2005 when the virus claimed more than 200 lives.
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