Q&A: What is the Marburg virus and should we be concerned about it spreading?

Licensed clinician Hala Fawal practices drawing blood from a patient using a dummy in Anniston, Ala, in 2014. Picture: AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File

The World Health Organisation confirmed on Monday that one person in Guinea, West Africa, has died of the Marburg virus.

This marks the first time the disease has been identified in West Africa - but does the Marburg virus have the potential to spread far and wide?