Reply #2: Actually these hemorrhagic viruses are not as bad as one would think [View All]

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5700864&cKey=1113941116000

Fighting Deadly Marburg Outbreak May Benefit Angola

Current efforts are focused on catching cases and stopping them from spreading, the health experts said. The initial symptoms of Marburg -- headache, malaise and high fever followed by vomiting and diarrhea -- are similar to those of any number of other, common infectious diseases.

Marburg is transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, sweat and saliva. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and internal bleeding.

The 90 percent mortality rate is probably due to poor health care and not some special lethality of the virus itself, doctors say.

"It takes very close contact with a known patients, usually very seriously ill, to become infected with this virus," said Ksiazek. "This is not a disease that is going through the general community in Uige."

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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-deadly-virus,0,1468766.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

U.N.: Marburg Virus Coming Under Control

LONDON -- Medical teams trying to stamp out the worst recorded incidence of Marburg virus in Angola are beginning to get the deadly outbreak under control as cooperation from stricken communities improves, the U.N. health agency said Saturday.

The virus, closely related to the feared Ebola virus, has caused hemorrhagic fever in 266 people and killed 244 of them since March, when the outbreak first came to the attention of health authorities.

As communities began to understand the dangers of the virus, though, the number of new cases dropped from an average of 35 per week to 15, the World Health Organization reported.

"This is good news, but it doesn't mean the outbreak is over," said Dr. Fatoumata Diallo, the WHO representative in Angola.

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Once the hysteria is taken out of the equation the Marburg virus doesn't appear to any worse than many other common infectious diseases. Even rabies does not apper to be 100% fatal with the proper treatment.

Don

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=411720&page=1

Teen Rabies Survivor on the Mend

First Person to Survive Rabies Without Vaccine Is on the Road to Recovery After Coma Treatment

Jan. 14, 2005 — Three months ago, 15-year-old Jeanna Giese was bitten by a bat. Instead of rushing to the hospital to receive a rabies vaccine, the Wisconsin teen figured it was simply a scratch, and gave the wound a good washing.

But soon symptoms, such as double vision and occasional unconsciousness, started to appear.

Taking a Chance on a Risky Treatment

Jeanna's parents, John and Ann, said that when doctors told them Jeanna had rabies and there was no routine treatment, "our hearts just dropped," said John. But the Gieses told the doctors to do whatever it took to help Jeanna. "We wouldn't take no for an answer," said John.

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