[Maridi haemorrhgic fever: a new viral disease (author's transl)].

A new viral disease (Maridi haemorrhagic fever) occurred in the South Sudan in 1976. It was obviously identical with an epidemic which occurred at the same time in Zaire. The virus is morpologically closely similar to the Marburg virus. During the Maridi epemic 124 of 238 patients died (52%). Characteristic symptoms were fever and headache (100%), diarrhoea (83%), retrosternal pain (82%), vomiting (68%), haemorrhages (62%), morbilliform or vesicular rash (52%). At post-mortem there were changes in liver, kidney, myocardium and lungs, similar to those in the Marburg virus disease, as were those observed in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Despite these analagous findings, the clinical course and results of immunofluorescence indicate that it is a new disease. The epidemic ended after suitable isolation measures had been taken. There was no specific treatment but in some cases convalescent plasma and interferon were tried. The disease is transmitted among humans by direct contact or by contact with blood or excreta of patients. No animal reservoir has been found. It is possible for this disease to be imported also into countries with a modorate climate.