Within 7 to 10 days, patients who will survive begin to recover. Recovery can take 5 weeks or more, and is marked by prostration, weight loss, and amnesia for the period of acute illness. Complications during convalescence can include recurrent hepatitis, as well as inflammation of the spinal cord, bone marrow, eyes, testes, and parotid gland. Patients who are at greatest risk of dying experience diffuse or extensive hemorrhage into the skin, mucous membranes, internal organs, stomach, and intestines. Swelling of the spleen, lymph nodes, kidneys, sometimes pancrease, and especially brain occurs.
Patients finally experience coma and convulsions, followed by death.
Death from shock usually occurs 6-9 days after clinical onset of symptoms. For patients presenting with Marburg symptoms, initial possible diagnoses can include malaria and tyhpoid fever. IFA results can be misleading. Electron microscopy is useful in diagnosing filovirus infection, but does not help distinguish Marburg from Ebola. Thrombocytopenia and abnormal platelet aggregation.