Tanzania Confirms Marburg Virus Outbreak After Initial Denial
Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the north-western region of Kagera, just a week after health authorities denied the presence of the virus in the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, President Samia assured the public that the government had intensified response efforts and deployed a rapid response team to manage the situation.
“We are confident that we will overcome this challenge once again,” President Samia stated, referencing the country’s previous outbreak in 2023.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had initially reported a suspected outbreak on 14 January, citing nine suspected cases and eight deaths over a five-day period.
However, Tanzania’s Health Minister Jenista Mhagama refuted these claims, stating that all suspected cases had tested negative. Despite this, the confirmation of one positive case has heightened concerns about potential transmission.
Marburg is a highly infectious virus with symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe bleeding. According to WHO, the virus has a fatality rate of up to 50% and is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or from fruit bats.
In response to the outbreak, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of swift action, stating that the global risk remains low but urging continued vigilance.
“Even though there is no approved treatment or vaccine, outbreaks can be controlled with swift response measures,” Dr Tedros said, advising against travel restrictions and encouraging collaboration.
Tanzanian authorities have tested 24 additional suspected cases, all of which returned negative results. However, the cause of the eight previously reported deaths remains unclear.
The African Union’s public health agency, Africa CDC, reported that over 300 contacts have been identified for monitoring, including 56 health workers and 16 individuals who had direct contact with suspected cases.
Kagera, the epicenter of the outbreak, is a key transit region with travelers frequently moving between Tanzania and neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. In December, Rwanda declared an end to its Marburg outbreak, which had claimed 15 lives and infected 66 people.
Currently, there are no specific treatments or vaccines for Marburg virus, although ongoing clinical trials offer some hope for future management of the disease.
