GHealth News – Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced on Monday the confirmation of a Marburg virus outbreak in the country’s northwest, with one case confirmed so far.
“Laboratory tests conducted at Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera, later confirmed in Dar es Salaam, identified one patient as infected with the Marburg virus,” she stated during a press conference in Dodoma, where World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was also present.
Last week, Tanzania’s health minister denied any outbreak, asserting that no one had tested positive for the virus. However, the denial followed reports from the WHO indicating that eight suspected deaths from the virus had occurred in the same region on January 10.
Victims reportedly exhibited classic Marburg virus symptoms, including headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhea, vomiting blood, muscle weakness, and external bleeding.
The Marburg virus, a hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 88%, belongs to the same family as Ebola. It is transmitted to humans through fruit bats native to parts of East Africa.
President Hassan highlighted the government’s strengthened response, noting that a rapid response team had been deployed to investigate suspected cases and contain the outbreak. So far, at least 25 suspected cases have tested negative.
WHO Director-General Tedros announced the allocation of $3 million from the WHO’s emergency contingency fund to support Tanzania’s efforts to manage the outbreak.
This marks the second reported Marburg virus outbreak in Kagera. In 2023, the region recorded nine cases, including six fatalities.
“The government’s investments during the previous outbreak have built capacities that, I hope, will help Tanzania swiftly control this latest situation,” Tedros remarked.
(Source: Reuters)