Ghana has confirmed its first two cases of the deadly Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease.
According BBC, both patients died recently in hospital in the southern Ashanti region.
Their samples came back positive earlier this month and have now been verified by a laboratory in Senegal.
Health officials in the West African nation say 98 people are now under quarantine as suspected contact cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which is supporting the country’s health authorities, has lauded Ghana’s swift response to the deadly virus.
WHO’s Africa Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said ”This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand”.
No treatment yet exists for Marburg, but doctors say drinking plenty of water and treating specific symptoms would improve a patient chances of survival.
The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads between humans through the transmission of bodily fluids.
This is the second time that Marburg has been identified in West Africa.
The first incident was a confirmed case in Guinea last year, while first ever Marburg outbreak was discovered in Germany in 1967.
Writing Adeniyi Bakare