Exotic diseases may be closer to you than they seem
In Ukraine, cases of West Nile fever, a disease transmitted through mosquito bites, are being reported more frequently. Meanwhile, Europe is concerned about the spread of Marburg fever, a deadly infection that was previously believed to be confined to the African region. The coronavirus is also making its presence known: epidemiologists are warning of a new strain that could replace the currently dominant variant, FliRT.
What predictions are experts making, and does Ukraine face a new invasion of deadly viruses? This is what "Kashтан NEWS" reports.
Marburg Virus
Marburg hemorrhagic fever is an extremely dangerous viral disease, a "relative" of Ebola and Lassa fevers, prevalent on the African continent. At the end of September 2024, another outbreak of Marburg fever was recorded in Rwanda, where the country's health ministry confirmed 26 cases of the disease (mostly among healthcare workers). Eight of these cases were fatal.
At the beginning of October, European news agencies reported a possible detection of Marburg fever in Germany: two individuals were hospitalized in Hamburg with suspected virus infections. One patient was a medical student who had contacted an infected person while working abroad. Fortunately, diagnostic tests for both hospitalized individuals returned negative results.
The virus was first identified in 1967 in three European cities—German Magdeburg and Frankfurt am Main, as well as in Zagreb, Yugoslavia (now Croatia). The vast majority of patients were laboratory staff working with viral preparations and had contact with the organs and tissues of green monkeys brought in for research from Uganda. Another segment of the infected were hospital workers who contracted the virus through contact with the blood of patients. A total of 32 people became ill, 11 of whom died.
In the "homeland" of Marburg fever, the virus is mainly transmitted through contact with fruit bats and Egyptian fruit bats. Typically, humans become infected by visiting caves inhabited by these bats. The virus can also be transmitted through contact with the secretions (blood, urine, mucus) of infected people or animals. Another route of transmission is through infected semen during sexual contact with a virus carrier.
The disease starts with a rapid rise in temperature, severe headaches, and muscle pain. On the third day, symptoms include diarrhea, sharp abdominal pain and cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Later, rashes and hemorrhages appear on the skin and mucous membranes.
The lethality rate of Marburg fever ranges from 20 to 88 percent. The largest outbreak was recorded in Angola, where between 2004 and 2005, 374 people fell ill, 323 of whom died. Outside Africa, there have only been two known deaths from Marburg fever in the past 40 years—one in Europe and another in the USA, where a person who had returned from an expedition to Ugandan caves fell victim to the disease.
According to the Center for Public Health, no cases of Marburg fever have been registered in Ukraine so far, but there is a risk of infection during trips to Africa. The incubation period can last up to three weeks, so a person may be unaware that they are already a virus carrier. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for infections caused by the Marburg virus.
West Nile Fever
This virus, despite its exotic name, is endemic to Ukraine—meaning it exists freely in the wild. Its natural reservoir is migratory birds, and the carriers from birds to humans are blood-sucking insects.
As noted by the Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine, Ihor Kuzin, West Nile fever "has been, is, and will be" in Ukraine, and it seems we will have to get used to the fact that it will be recorded more frequently.
“We have a certain temperature shift across the regions of the country. Previously, we said that West Nile fever could spread in the Kherson, Odesa regions, and Crimea, but now a large part of central Ukraine is becoming favorable for it,” Kuzin said in a recent interview with BBC.
According to the Center for Public Health, 88 cases of West Nile fever have been registered in Ukraine over the past three months. Eleven patients have died. Additionally, at the end of August this year, the Department of Health of the Kyiv City State Administration reported that 17 cases were recorded in Kyiv over the summer: 15 among residents of the capital, and one each from Cherkasy and Kyiv regions. Unfortunately, three people died.
In most infected individuals, the disease is asymptomatic. However, 20 percent of people may experience headaches, sudden fever, sore throat, muscle, joint, and back pain, weakness, nausea, and diarrhea. Rashes on the body, liver and spleen enlargement, and nervous system damage—such as meningitis, encephalitis, paresis, and paralysis—may also occur.
Similar to Marburg fever, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for West Nile fever. Fortunately, the virus is not transmitted from person to person, but residents of marshy areas and nature enthusiasts risk becoming victims of the disease.
Chief Sanitary Doctor Ihor Kuzin recommends using repellents, installing screens on windows, wearing protective clothing during outdoor activities, and avoiding areas near stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
“For many, it seems nonsensical to use repellents when simply going to the park. But in the context of global climate change, this is a reality, and it must be done,” Kuzin insists, reminding that West Nile fever has quite high mortality rates.
Variant XEC
Another dangerous "guest" this season is a new strain of coronavirus known as XEC. It was first identified in June this year in Germany and subsequently spread to other countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. Specifically, according to the latest data, in the United Kingdom, XEC accounts for 9.35 percent of all recorded COVID cases, while in Czechia it is 16 percent.
XEC emerged from the recombination of two descendants of "Omicron"—KS.1.1 (known as FLiRT) and KP.3.3. It is believed that such an extraordinary mutation of the virus could have occurred in a person infected with both strains simultaneously.
Like other subvariants of "Omicron," XEC causes high fever, headaches, cough, sore throat, fatigue, and weakness. So far, there are no signs that the new strain is more severe than its predecessors. However, François Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, believes that this winter XEC could become the dominant strain of COVID-19, replacing its "parent" strain FliRT, which was widely spread last epidemic season. As Balloux explained in a comment to BBC, XEC transmits somewhat faster from person to person, but existing vaccines developed against previous variants of "Omicron" will likely be effective against it.
The Ministry of Health has not yet reported any cases of XEC in Ukraine. In our territory, one of the main circulating strains remains FliRT, which "thanks" us for the unexpected surge in cases in July-August this year. However, even the "old acquaintances" among the strains remain dangerous: according to data from the Kyiv City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, only in the last week, two fatal cases due to complications caused by the coronavirus were registered in the capital. Overall, from September 30 to October 6, 196 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Kyiv—this is slightly less compared to the previous week, but the epidemic season is just beginning. The peak of the disease is traditionally predicted by infectious disease specialists for January-February—after the winter holidays.
Konstantin MYKHAILENKO