What Is the Marburg Virus? Fears at Hamburg Train Station Highlight Deadly Disease
The Marburg virus is a rare but highly deadly disease similar to Ebola. It is spread through contact with body fluids like blood, saliva, and urine, or through broken skin. The virus causes severe symptoms, including high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases, internal and external bleeding. With a fatality rate averaging around 50%, it poses a serious threat to public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that outbreaks of the virus can be devastating if not quickly contained.
Recently, the Marburg virus has raised alarms in Europe. At Hamburg Central Station in northern Germany, a train platform was cordoned off after fears emerged that a passenger may have been carrying the virus. A man and his girlfriend, traveling from Frankfurt on a high-speed train, developed flu-like symptoms. Authorities reported that the couple had recently returned from Rwanda, where they had been treating a man who later developed an infectious disease.
Rwanda is currently grappling with an outbreak of the Marburg virus, which has claimed at least eight lives. Although the man and his girlfriend did not have a fever, they were quickly transported to a specialist clinic for evaluation. Emergency services, including police and firefighters, responded to the situation, and platform four at Hamburg station was temporarily closed as a precaution. It was later reopened after the situation was under control.
The Marburg virus was first identified in 1967, during outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, as well as in Serbia, when lab workers became infected through contact with African green monkeys. Though it is not airborne, the virus can spread rapidly through close contact with infected individuals, making it a serious concern for public health.
As global travel and connectivity increase, incidents like the one in Hamburg serve as a reminder of the risks posed by infectious diseases. The Marburg virus, while rare, is deadly, and containment measures are crucial to prevent its spread.