Marburg cases in Angola reach 423

Jun 7, 2005 (CIDRAP News) – The tally of Marburg hemorrhagic fever cases in Angola has reached 423, including 357 fatal ones, but the epidemic appears to be slowing, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

Today's numbers represent 24 new cases and 22 more deaths since the last WHO statement on May 27, when the agency reported 399 cases with 335 deaths.

The epidemic has been concentrated overwhelmingly in the northern province of Uige, which has had 412 cases with 346 deaths.

"The number of new cases reported in Uige municipality has declined considerably, with only 1 new confirmed case detected in the past week," the WHO said. When the epidemic was peaking in late March and April, 30 to 40 new cases were being reported weekly, the agency said.

The latest case in Uige city was in a person with known exposure to other patients. "Alerts to potential cases continue to be received and investigated, indicating that vigilance remains high," the WHO reported.

See also:

Jun 7 WHO news release
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2005_06_07/en/index.html