In Germany, ad Hamburg to be precise, we are experiencing moments of great alert after the German federal police isolated platforms 7 and 8 of the central train station due to the possible presence of two positive subjects Marburg virus. The two people are a 26-year-old medical student and his partner, who boarded the train in Frankfurt am Main towards Hamburg. During the trip they both developed flu-like symptoms and considering that the student had previously arrived by plane from Rwanda – where this virus is widespread – there is a fear that there may have been a contagion. The same student confirmed that he had had contact in Africa with a person who later turned out to be infected with the Marburg virus.
Two platforms of the Hamburg station isolated
According to what was reported by Bildthe passengers of two isolated tracks in the Hamburg central stationaround 200 people in total, were asked not to get close to each other, with emergency service personnel boarding the train from Frankfurt in protective suits.
The 26-year-old student and his partner were transported to theEppendorf University Hospital (UKE) with a specialized fire rescue vehicle to combat infections. The luggage of the two travelers ended up being seized.
The federal police then proceeded to record all the data of the 200 passengers present on the platforms, concentrating their efforts in particular on those who had an contact direct with the two passengers potentially positive for the Marburg virus. “Now – said the spokesperson for the Hamburg fire brigade – we need to find out whether they actually managed to get infected in such a short time”.
Marburg virus, the outbreak in Rwanda
The Marburg virus it is spreading especially in Rwandawith the local Ministry of Health reporting 27 people infected And 8 victims. The alarm was also confirmed byWHOWorld Health Organization, which in recent months had already shown concern about the spread of this disease in Africa, so much so that it told local authorities to report “all cases of contagion, otherwise we will not be able to adopt the necessary measures to combat it ”.
Like Ebola, Marburg virus disease (MVD), also known as Marburg hemorrhagic fever, is considered a serious viral disease characterized by a high degree of lethality. As specified by the WHO, the chances of death in patients ranged from 24 to 88%.
The initial transmission starts from some species of bat who are carriers of the virus, with transmission subsequently occurring between one person and another through contact with body fluids or contact with contaminated surfaces. The warning about its spread is also linked to the fact that, at the moment, there are no specific treatments or vaccines to prevent it. Currently the first outbreak of the Marburg virus is the one reported in Rwanda.
