Health Essentials
The Marburg virus disease – should we be worried?
“Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease in the same family as the virus that causes the feared Ebola.”
As deadly as this disease is, all the two who tested positive for the virus died. Fortunately, the 98 contacts are all well and even the 13 who were randomly tested had negative results.
The questions on our minds include; where did they contract this disease from since no others have so far been diagnosed? They both had no history of travel outside the country and may not even ever had contact.
It appears the world is under attack from viruses and over the past few years this has become pronounced fuelling the thoughts of conspiracy theorists BUT we should at all times be cautious whenever there is the need for close contact with others AND we have to love one another and isolate when we are unwell while we get professional medical advice.
What is the Marburg virus? How is it transmitted? What are its symptoms? Is there a cure for the disease it inflicts on one’s body? How can one protect themselves from the virus? Read on for the answers to these questions.
WHAT THE MARBURG VIRUS IS
The Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever which affects both people and non-human primates. In simple terms, the virus affects multiple organ systems in the body and is accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding).
It became known when it affected and killed some thirty-one people in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany in 1967. Many of us in Ghana are familiar with Ebola Virus that is related to Marburg virus and as we are aware is also deadlier than one can ever imagine.
HOW THE MVS IS TRANSMITTED
The initial transmission (primary transmission) is from non-human primates, most especially the African Fruit Bat through their faeces and urine. Secondarily, it spreads in high numbers from person to person through close contacts, such as,
- Through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth or body fluids (urine, saliva, sweat, faeces, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, and semen) of a person who is sick with or died from Marburg virus disease.
- Through infected needles, clothing and bed sheets. It is important for Health Practitioners to protect themselves using specialised personal protective equipment which covers them from head to toe while dealing with cases of such calibre.
- From infected people to their family members who are caring for them or preparing the dead for burial. Report to the hospital early if a family member shows any sign of the symptoms below and always wait for the autopsy report and clearance from the hospital before taking home a deceased family member for burial rites.
Thankfully, people who contract the Marburg virus typically don’t become contagious until they develop symptoms. It is important to note that there are no research findings that show that the virus can be spread through insect bites.
SYMPTOMS OF THE MARBURG VIRUS DISEASE
Like other viruses, the Marburg Virus Disease has an incubation (time from contact to exhibition of symptoms) period of 2 to 21 days after which the patient suffers fever, chills, headaches, and mild to severe muscle pain.
Five days after the symptoms above start, the patient may experience a rash on their trunk (chest, back, stomach), accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sore throat, chest pain, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
Symptoms become more severe as the days go by. These may include severe bleeding, shock, liver failure, inflammation of the pancreas, massive weight loss, and multi-organ dysfunction.
CLASSIC SYMPTOMS;
- fever
- bloody diarrhoea
- bleeding from gums
- bleeding into the skin
- bleeding into the eyes
- bloody urine
MVD often ends up in death from multiple organ failure. Other complications include seizures (fits) and delirium.
TREATMENT FOR THE MARBURG VIRUS DISEASE
There aren’t any approved treatments or vaccines for the Marburg Virus Disease. Patients are given supportive care i.e., rehydration both through intravenous and oral means, balancing patient’s electrolytes, improving oxygen status and blood pressure, replacing lost blood and managing blood clot challenges etc. The goal is to manage specific symptoms.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE VIRUS
- Primarily, people should desist from having any contacts with fruit bats. As well as other primates such as monkeys, grasscutters etc. Avoid touching or eating these animals.
- Meat should be thoroughly cooked before eating
- Avoid caves and mines that may be harbouring the virus.
- With regards to human to human transmission, report to the nearest hospital in instances where you see any of the symptoms mentioned above on any relative or friend before assisting them. In instances where you have to assist the patient before the arrival of the medics, make sure to protect yourself before touching or assisting them.
- Medical practitioners should stick strictly to their safety routines when attending to patients including using the appropriate protective equipment.
- Wash your hands frequently and use your hand sanitizers in instances where there is the absence of soap and running water.
Recovery from this disease is slow and painful and the virus stays in one’s body for weeks while it takes months to regain your strength and the weight that is lost.
Note that THERE IS NO VACCINE to protect us from Marburg Virus Disease!!!!
The Marburg Virus Disease is quite rare but can spread very fast when a person contracts it. In Ghana, the Ghana Health Service has put in place measures that can help trace contacts and quarantine persons who have had contacts with infected persons.
Remember to follow all Covid-19 protocols as they go a long way to protect us from many other viruses including the Marburg Virus.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Augustina Amarh, Content Creator, Health Essentials Ltd
& Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “Don’t lose out on laughter, the benefits match Exercise, Meditation & Sex all rolled into one.”
References:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-62202240
- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/marburg-virus-disease
- https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/marburg/prevention/index.html
- GHS Press Release
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
THE past few years I have been thinking a lot about how to make the life of elderly parents fulfilling and with less stress on our lives. How we should also prepare adequately for our golden years while we provide guidance to our children and grandchildren.
These thoughts have on several occasions shifted to peri-menopause and menopause, and the role of finance and wellness in all this cannot be taken for granted.
As Christmas draws closer, thoughts of people being “so busy” we neglect the elderly keeps flooding my mind. Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a toddler, then a teen, with neither fears nor cares, and in a blink of an eye you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old.
Is 50 that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the 50 years. It is never too late to make changes.
As we trudge through life most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between 40 to 65 years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.
Necessary steps to enhance life of elderly
- Never boss or try to “parent” your parents
- Think about this; we unconsciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without finding their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!
- Ask for their opinion
- Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, and politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.
- Do not over treat them medically
- Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional.
- Hospital stays should be as brief as possible
- Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and convenient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If it is not an emergency find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hospital environments and why should they?
- When admitted for an illness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno.
- Have them stay at home for as long as possible
- Sometimes children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options.
- Help them to socialise
- Organise time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to everyone including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer.
- …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live.
- Ensure physical activity
- No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better
- Sunlight is a must. Do whatever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.
- The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.
- Spend quality time with the elderly this Christmas
- We are already in December and the world is already preparing for Christmas. Spending time with the elderly during the season is PRICELESS!! Yes, you can make some time for that.
Steps to prepare for our own golden years
- Start a wellness plan or continue if you already have one
- It is a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.
- Keep in touch with your classmates
- They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination
- Surround yourself with younger people
- They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.
- Avoid loneliness at all costs
- You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends.
- Protect your brain / memory
- Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls memory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up.
Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week (1) – “Ageing comes with Psychosocial challenges such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, other mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel
BY Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
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“Me nyare n’anso me nti ap)” is a popular Akan saying that can be translated into English as “I am not ill, yet I feel unwell.” It is that feeling when you just can’t place a finger on what is not right with you.
Today, I can confidently inform you that if you have felt this way in the past, you certainly had a point. Medical science has come a long way, and we know that health and wellness go far beyond the physical aspects such as pain, heart disease, or infections.
Other equally important aspects of wellness exist, and these may be classified as Social, Mental, Spiritual, Financial, and Digital Health and Wellness.
Do not be surprised when your doctor begins to ask you questions about your social network, such as those you have close ties with—family, friends, or both. Longevity depends to a large extent on one’s social support system or network.
As the American Heart Association notes, “lack of SOCIAL CONNECTION is associated with increased risk of premature death from all causes, especially among men.”
This is no open ticket to spend all of one’s after-work hours hanging out with friends under the disguise that you are prolonging your life. Moderation is key in all things, and your strong social ties need not be a whole village. All you need is a handful of loyal friends or family who know you inside out and have your wellbeing at heart.
If you are stressed out or have any mental health challenges, you should be able to speak to a close friend. Sharing your challenge may just be enough, or this friend may be able to advise you appropriately. It is easy to laugh with such friends and not be worried about being judged. Laughter, as you know, is medicine.
Close contacts may prompt you to take your physical health seriously, but even if they don’t, that bond you share produces feel-good hormones that protect you and prolong your health span.
I prefer health span to lifespan simply because lifespan refers to just being alive, but one may not be “living”—you could be bedridden, in a coma, or have multiple organ challenges. We should all aim for a long health span.
The art of building strong social connections is one reason we need to work on getting our children away from their phones and other gadgets that deprive them of the opportunity to talk to peers, share physical contact, and form lifelong relationships.
Dear friend, choose your friends wisely if you want to live a long, healthy, and happy life.
While you work on your social connections, let us breathe our way to great health by following the steps below. Repeat these steps daily:
- Sit in a quiet place.
- Avoid tight clothing (loosen your belt, necktie, or other constricting clothing).
- Take deep breaths through your nostril and exhale slowly through partially closed lips.
- At the peak of your initial inhale, take in another breath and hold for a count of 4 before exhaling.
- Expand your belly as you breathe in.
- Focus on your breathing and forget about everything else.
- When your focus drifts off (and it will about 50% of the time), acknowledge the thought but quickly return to your breathing.
- Continue breathing in and exhaling for five minutes.
- Increase the duration of this breathing/mindfulness over time.
…and remember to teach your friends to breathe too. After all, together you will live a long, healthy, and enjoyable life.
As always: laugh often, ensure hygiene, walk and pray every day, and remember it’s a priceless gift to know your numbers (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI).
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine. He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition, and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.
Thought for the week (1): “Lack of sleep may predispose you to many diseases including a STROKE. Jump into bed an hour earlier and sleep a stroke away.”
Thought for the week (2): “There is no magic formula to being happy, but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.”
Join us at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for our end-of-year Wellness Festival on Saturday, 29th November 2025, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. You should not miss this event. All six pillars of wellness will be at play.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
