The Paris-based Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, has warned that the Marburg virus outbreak in Uige, Angola is not yet under control and capable of endangering many lives.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever is an extremely deadly disease caused by a virus from the same family that causes Ebola .

The virus spreads through contact with bodily fluids and incubates for between three and nine days. And there is no vaccine or reliable treatment.

Dr. Brigitte Vasset of MSF's Hemorrhagic Fever Sector says that in order to contain the virus, medical workers in Uige are trying to convince residents who might be contaminated to seek hospital treatment.

"People are scared, so they don't want to go to the hospital and on our side. The team of the Ministry are really trying to explain correctly with the good words to the population, what is Marburg, it's not jumping on them like this. But if they are sick they should come to the hospital to be treated as much as they can and to avoid contamination of their families and everywhere." said Dr. Brigitte.

Doctors Without Borders currently has nearly 40 medical workers across Angola trying to contain the outbreak.

The World Health Organization reports the rare Marburg virus has already killed 194 of the 214 people infected with it.

(CRI.com April 13, 2005)