Panic in Tanzania! Deadly Marburg Virus Strikes Again with First Confirmed Case- WHO Rushed In
Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced on Monday that the deadly Marburg virus has been detected in the northwest part of the country, with one confirmed case so far.
She explained that laboratory tests carried out at the Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera, and later confirmed in Dar es Salaam, identified the infection.
The announcement was made during a press briefing in Dodoma, attended by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Earlier, Tanzania’s health minister had denied any outbreak, stating that no cases had tested positive for the virus.
This statement came after the WHO reported receiving credible information that eight people had died from suspected Marburg virus cases in the same region on January 10.
The virus causes severe hemorrhagic fever and is highly fatal, with a death rate of up to 88%. Symptoms include high fever, headache, back pain, vomiting blood, diarrhea, muscle weakness, and external bleeding.
Marburg belongs to the same virus family as Ebola and is transmitted to humans by fruit bats commonly found in parts of East Africa.
President Hassan assured the public that the government is taking swift action. A rapid response team has been sent to the affected area to monitor suspected cases and control the spread.
She noted that 25 suspected cases had been tested, and all results came back negative. Meanwhile, Tedros announced that WHO would allocate $3 million from its emergency fund to support Tanzania’s efforts to contain the outbreak.
This marks the second Marburg outbreak in Kagera. In 2023, the region reported nine cases and six deaths. Tedros expressed hope that Tanzania’s improved response systems, developed during the last outbreak, would help control this situation quickly.
Panic in Tanzania! Deadly Marburg Virus Strikes Again with First Confirmed Case- WHO Rushed In
