Tanzania Confirms Marburg Virus Outbreak in Northwest
President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the country’s northwest, with one case officially identified. The announcement came during a press conference in Dodoma, attended by World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
First Case Confirmed and Response Measures
Laboratory tests conducted at Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera and later verified in Dar es Salaam identified a patient infected with the Marburg virus. This confirmation follows earlier denials from Tanzania’s health minister, who stated no positive cases despite reports of eight suspected deaths in Kagera on 10 January.
Victims reportedly exhibited classic symptoms of Marburg virus infection, such as high fever, severe headache, back pain, muscle weakness, vomiting blood, and external bleeding. The disease, a viral haemorrhagic fever from the same family as Ebola, has a fatality rate of up to 88% and is primarily transmitted to humans by fruit bats endemic to East Africa.
In response, the government has strengthened containment measures. A rapid response team has been dispatched to monitor suspected cases and limit the virus’s spread. So far, at least 25 suspected cases have tested negative.
WHO Mobilises Support to Contain Outbreak
The WHO has pledged $3 million from its contingency fund to aid efforts in Tanzania to manage the outbreak. Tedros highlighted the government’s improved response capabilities, built during a previous outbreak in Kagera in 2023, when nine cases and six deaths were recorded.
The WHO director expressed confidence in Tanzania’s ability to contain the current outbreak, emphasising the importance of swift and coordinated action.
with inputs from Reuters
