Marburg fever death toll tops 300 in Angola

Marburg fever has killed more than 300 people in Angola, mainly through exposure to the deadly virus at home and at funerals, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday.

The United Nations agency said Angolan health officials had reported 337 cases since late last year, 311 of them fatal.

The vast majority of cases have been in the northern province of Uige, epicentre of the world's worst outbreak of the Ebola-like disease. "No cases have been reported outside Uige for the past five weeks," the WHO said in a statement.

Despite better infection control at Uige hospital and collection of unsafe syringes in homes, new cases "continue to be linked to exposure in homes and at funerals, indicating that public understanding of the disease still needs to be improved", it said.

Experts say many cases have been contracted by people caring for loved ones in the final stages of illness or through washing and kissing bodies after death in accordance with local custom.

The rare haemorrhagic fever is transmitted through bodily fluids including blood, sweat, saliva and tears. Most people usually die within days after massive bleeding.

The previous record death toll from Marburg was 123 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998-2000.

- REUTERS