Angola virus at 'critical stage'

Angola has stepped up efforts to combat the outbreak

Angola is at a critical stage in its fight against an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, the World Health Organization says.

Although there is evidence that the number of cases is declining, efforts must be intensified to bring the disease under control, it says.

There have been 266 cases of the virus in Angola, in the world's largest ever recorded outbreak of the disease.

At least 244 people are reported to have died.

In the first weeks of the outbreak, 25-30 cases a week were being recorded.

MARBURG VIRUS Transmitted through extremely close contact with blood or other body fluids Incubation period lasts three to nine days Symptoms start with severe headache, muscle ache and fever, followed by diarrhoea, abdominal pain and severe haemorrhagic manifestations In fatal cases, death occurs eight or nine days after onset of symptoms Source: WHO Q&A: Marburg virus

The latest figure is 15, although doctors believe that may still rise.

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

"The chain of transmission is being broken as we speak. However, this is the most critical time now in the response," said Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO's top outbreak specialist.

"Continuing and intensifying the effort is what we need to do now, not relax," he said, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Community relations

Health workers in Uige province, where the outbreak is centred, have set up a Marburg treatment ward for confirmed cases and a fever ward for suspect ones. Doctors say this means confirmed cases are now properly isolated.

The WHO says a key part of the fight against Marburg remains winning the trust of local people.

Bereaved families are now being more closely involved in funerals, and one relative per patient is allowed to visit the isolation ward wearing protective clothing.

The WHO hopes this will overcome the suspicions of local communities.

At the start of the outbreak, many families were refusing to report illness fearing that once their loved ones had been delivered to the medical teams, they would never see them again.

"Now the community response has improved very much. Currently, there is only one [community] in which there is some hostility vis-a-vis the technical teams," Nestor Ndayimiridje, one of the emergency doctors in Uige told the AFP news agency.