According to reports that have reached JoyNews, the public is dissatisfied with the lack of knowledge regarding the deadly Marburg virus.
In the Ashanti Region, the virus has claimed the life of two persons. As a result, the Ghana Health Service has put roughly 98 persons under close observation.
Despite the fact that 31 patients were released after receiving the all-clear from the authorities, almost as many individuals nationwide are unaware of the infection.
A reader who spoke with JoyNews on the virus' degree of awareness had this to say.
"This is the first time I've heard of it. The man said, "I assume I've had it before, but I have no idea if I've ever ever had the virus."
Another person said, "We haven't heard about it. I watch a lot of news, but I haven't heard of it.
Another bystander chimed in, "I am stating that I didn't hear about anything and that I am innocent. Others concurred that despite knowing little to nothing about the Marburg Virus despite having heard of it.
Actually, I have heard about it in the news, but I don't know much about it. The last one I heard about was Omicron, so I have heard about the new one in the news, but I don't know much about it in terms of the specifics, just like when Covid-19 came around and we were well educated and it was all over the news.
"It's a virus, and it exists. Another person told JoyNews, "I am sure it is killing individuals in the system, so people should be completely aware of what is occurring around us.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has already demanded a reinstatement to the security measures put in place for Covid-19.
The Marburg virus, in contrast to Covid-19, has a high mortality rate, thus it is important to concentrate on containing it and preventing its spread, said GMA General Secretary Titus Beyuo.
Additionally, Dr. Michael Owusu, a virologist at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, has suggested an urgent effort to raise public knowledge of the virus.
We are aware that one of the main reservoirs of the virus is bush meat animals, therefore the educational component is on the weak side. Therefore, he stated, "At this level, we need a lot of education to get the word out that we're dealing with something more unique than Covid.
The Ghana Health Service is actively looking for the origin of the deadly Marburg virus illness epidemic that has claimed the lives of two people in the Ashanti Region.
Dr. Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, director of public health at the Ghana Health Service, said his organization has started intensive contact tracing and will step up surveillance.
"Containment is the focus of our strategy. In order to ensure that we identify all relationships, we include community people who have a deeper understanding of the area. This way, if a situation should arise, we can address it quickly, he explained.
In a similar event, the World Health Organization (WHO) will send a team of specialists to Ghana in the coming days to help the nation combat the Marburg virus illness epidemic.
Detailed information about the Marburg Virus
Marburg virus is the disease's causal agent. MVD has a case fatality ratio of up to 88 percent, however this number may be significantly reduced with proper patient care.
Following simultaneous epidemics in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, as well as in Belgrade in Serbia, the Marburg viral illness was first identified in 1967.
The Filoviridae family includes both the Marburg and the Ebola viruses (filovirus). Although the two illnesses are brought on by distinct viruses, they are clinically identical. Both illnesses are uncommon and have the potential to spread in high-fatality outbreaks.