The WHO hopes to test an experimental Marburg vaccine in Equatorial Guinea, which announced an outbreak of the virus Monday.
Nine deaths have been confirmed, while 16 suspected patients are in quarantine. Health officials are also monitoring 15 asymptomatic close contacts of infected people.
People can spread Marburg virus through blood, other bodily fluids or contaminated objects or surfaces. Past outbreaks, mostly in Africa, have had death rates of 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain and the strength of efforts to control transmission. George Ameh, the WHO’s representative in Equatorial Guinea, said the organization has ramped up contact tracing. The outbreak's first case most likely dates to Jan. 7, he said, but the country’s health ministry learned about it a month later. Deaths have been among close family members and people who attended their burials, he added.
Attendees at the WHO meeting discussed five vaccine candidates that have shown promise against Marburg virus in animal studies. Three vaccine developers — Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Public Health Vaccines and the Sabin Vaccine Institute — said they could probably make doses available to test in the current outbreak.
But some at the meeting pointed out that there may not be enough cases in this outbreak to properly evaluate a vaccine.
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