The death toll from the outbreak of Marburg virus in Angola has risen to 159 of the reported 181 people who have acquired the disease to date. Already, Angola is receiving assistance from a number of agencies including specialists from the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Now, the country's governing body has recognized the emergency.

On Wednesday, the Angolan parliament passed a resolution calling for President Eduardo dos Santos to step up the effort to combat this deadly disease. The resolution read, in part, 'The National Assembly of Angola recommends that the government make available more finances and materials to fight the epidemic as rapidly as possible.'

Efforts to combat the disease have already been implemented. Dos Santos created an emergency commission being led by Interior Minister Oswaldo Serra Van Dunem, who is working with the country’s defense minister, General Kundi Pahama. According to the country’s deputy health minister, Jose Van Dunem, ”The government has transferred $200 000 to the Uige provincial government.' The Uige province has been hardest hit by the outbreak of the virus. He also said that thirty nurses will be flown in to Uige today (Thursday).

Isolation wards have been set up at Angola's largest Americo Boa Vida hospital in Luanda, and the doctors have also set up laboratories so that epidemiologists can identify the disease locally rather than having to wait three weeks for samples to be evaluated at the CDC in the U.S. Faster diagnosis can help stop the spread of the disease since the infected person can be isolated as soon as it is determined that he or she has the disease. Researchers are also working on a vaccine.

One of the key factors in containing this outbreak is public awareness. Since the disease is spread through close contact with bodily fluids of those infected, earlier cases were found in people who were tending bodies for burial without wearing gloves. With increased awareness, these exposures can be stopped. Health care workers were also at risk in that the virus could pass from an individual’s coughing and sneezing. Wearing a mask and gloves can protect such a worker from exposure to infected patients.