Madrid: The health ministry of Spain announced on Saturday that a man suspected of having Marburg disease had tested negative for the virus and did not have the disease.
Health officials in Valencia reported the first suspected case of Marburg disease in the country, which has resulted in the quarantine of over 200 individuals in Equatorial Guinea due to the highly infectious nature of the disease.
According to officials, the 34-year-old man, who had recently visited Equatorial Guinea, has been cleared of Marburg disease but will be subjected to further testing in the upcoming weeks.
The Valencian regional health authorities stated that the patient was moved from a private hospital to an isolation unit at Hospital La Fe in Valencia for further testing.
As a precautionary measure, three healthcare workers who were attending to the patient have been isolated, according to authorities.
According to the World Health Organization, Marburg virus has a fatality rate of up to 88%, and there are no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments available for the disease.
Following the detection of the hemorrhagic fever, Equatorial Guinea imposed movement restrictions in its Kie-Ntem province and quarantined over 200 individuals on February 13.
The World Health Organization reported that the small central African country has confirmed nine fatalities and 16 suspected cases of Marburg disease. The symptoms of the disease include fever, fatigue, blood-stained vomit, and diarrhea.
On February 13, Cameroonian officials identified two suspected cases of Marburg disease in Olamze, a community near the border with Equatorial Guinea, according to Robert Mathurin Bidjang, the public health delegate for the region. Further to prevent contagion, Cameroon imposed restrictions on movement along its border.