Travelers Warned About Spread Of Deadly 'Bleeding Eyes' Virus

Marburg virus, illustration

Photo: THOM LEACH / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Science Photo Library / Getty Images

A global alert has been issued to travelers due to the spread of three deadly diseases: Marburg, Mpox, and Oropouche, which have now affected 17 countries. The Marburg virus, also known as the 'bleeding eyes' virus due to one of its symptoms, has already claimed 15 lives in Rwanda, where hundreds are believed to be infected. The disease, which has a 50% fatality rate, is feared to spread to other African countries already grappling with other outbreaks.

The Mpox clade one virus has been detected in seven African countries: Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, and Uganda.

The third virus, Oropouche, is being spread through midge bites in several South American countries and a Caribbean state. Over 10,000 people in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, and Peru have been infected this year, with a small number of fatalities reported.

According to The Mirror, Marburg can be spread through contact with broken skin, blood, secretions, bodily fluids, and mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth of infected people. Symptoms include fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, and severe watery diarrhea. From the fifth day, symptoms may include fresh blood in vomit and feces, bleeding from the nose, gums, vagina, eyes, mouth, and ears, internal bleeding, confusion, irritability, aggression, or inflammation of the testicles.

The Mpox virus, on the other hand, is spread through close sexual and non-sexual contact. Symptoms might not appear until up to 21 days after being infected. The most obvious and common symptom is a rash that can last for a month. Other symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, shivering, exhaustion, and joint pain.

For Oropouche, symptoms appear around three to ten days after being infected and last for up to a week. Symptoms include fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, and a rash.


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