Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has confirmed an outbreak of the Marburg virus, a deadly pathogen similar to Ebola, in the northwestern Kagera region. The announcement comes just days after the country’s health minister denied any cases.
The confirmation follows a World Health Organization (WHO) report on January 14 that flagged nine suspected cases and eight deaths in Kagera. President Samia assured the public that the government had bolstered its response, including deploying a rapid response team to investigate and manage suspected cases.
Marburg virus, transmitted from fruit bats to humans and through bodily fluids, has a fatality rate of approximately 50%. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe blood loss in advanced cases. Despite no specific treatments or vaccines being available, trials are ongoing.
Tanzania’s health authorities have so far confirmed one case, with samples from 24 others testing negative. The origins of the eight deaths reported by the WHO remain unclear. Neighboring Rwanda recently declared its own outbreak over after it infected 66 people and claimed 15 lives.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus downplayed the global risk but emphasized the importance of international collaboration. Health workers and over 300 contacts in Tanzania are under observation to prevent further spread.
Tanzania’s last Marburg outbreak in 2023 killed six people in Bukoba district. The country is now racing to contain this new outbreak in the transit hub region, which borders several countries including Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
