• Source:JND
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Kitum Cave Kenya:  Kitum, Kenya's deadliest cave, the origin of some of the most scary viruses, is in the news once again as a new report, published in the Science Times has claimed that it can cause the next pandemic. The deep cave, harbouring a large population of bats and other animals, has been the origin of Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses faced by humanity. Not only this, the Kitum cave was also associated with the Ravn virus, a killer hemorrhagic virus.

However, the Science Times report claimed that the Kitum cave can give rise to the next pandemic, caused by another virus -- Marburg Virus -- found in the hollow darks of the structure. World Health Organisation had also warned about the Marburg virus, deeming it 'epidemic-prone.'

Marburg Virus Disease: The Next Pandemic?

The Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever-causing highly infectious virus, attacks the human heart and causes severe complications with the nervous system. With a death rate as high as 88 per cent in some cases, this virus is even deadlier than Ebola. According to the WHO, the "Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission."

Patients infected with the Marburg virus have shown severe symptoms such as expressionless faces and sunken eyes, giving a 'ghostly' appearance to the patient. In advanced stages, it leads to bleeding from different parts of the body like the vagina, eyes, nose, and gums.

Despite its high epidemic potential, there is no proven treatment for the Marburg virus, however, a range of blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies are currently under development, according to WHO.

Kitum Cave and 'viral' incidents

In 1980, a French engineer working at a nearby sugar refinery got infected with the deadly Marburg virus while exploring Kitum Cave. Sadly, he died shortly after being admitted to a hospital in Nairobi.

A book about the incident described how quickly the illness made his face look like it was falling apart, with the tissue in his face dissolving and making it seem like his face was separating from his skull.