The Indonesian Health Ministry has issued a Marburg virus warning as the ruling classes in that area ask people to be alert for the hemorrhagic viral disease. A spokesperson for the Health Ministry, Mohammad Syahril, told the government and the public to be vigilant.

“We need to maintain early vigilance and anticipate the Marburg virus disease,” Syahril said in a statement, on Tuesday, March 28th.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever which affects both people and non-human primates. MVD is caused by the Marburg virus, a genetically unique zoonotic (or, animal-borne) RNA virus of the filovirus family. The six species of Ebola virus are the only other known members of the filovirus family.

Symptom onset is sudden and marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk (chest, back, stomach), may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, a sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and can include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction. -CDC

The World Health Organization (WHO) received a case report of Marburg disease originating from Equatorial Guinea on Monday, February 13, 2023. To date, no cases or suspicions of the fatal disease have been reported in Indonesia, but the government asks the public to stay alert, according to a report by Tempo.

Based on case reports received by WHO, there were nine deaths and 16 suspected cases reported in Kie Ntem Province. Marburg is transmitted through body fluids directly from bats or primates. The natural host bat for the virus is Rousettus aegyptiacus which is not native and has not been found in Indonesia.

Five people have died and three others are infected with the Marburg virus in Tanzania’s north-west Kagera region, authorities said earlier this week.

Also, in other “coincidental news” a few hours after this report came out from Indonesia, CNN released an article titled: What should people know about the Marburg virus? Our medical analyst explains.