Tanzania has dismissed reports of a Marburg outbreak in the country's Kagera region.
Tanzania’s Health Minister Jenista Mhagama in a statement on Wednesday said the tests conducted as of January 15 were all negative.
This is after the World Health Organisation put Kenya and five other countries on high alert over Marburg disease after claims of the death of Eight people in the Kagera region, in Tanzania.
"The Ministry of Health has received reports of the outbreak of Marburg disease in the region. Following the reports, the ministry has taken several immediate measures including, dispatching a team of experts to investigate this matter, take samples and conduct laboratory tests," Mhagama said.
"As of today January 15, 2025, laboratory test results of all those samples have not confirmed the presence of Marburg virus."
The ministry assured the people and the international community that it has strengthened disease surveillance and will continue to provide more information.
In a statement on January 15, the WHO issued the alert in neighbouring countries including; Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique.
"So far, we are aware of nine suspected cases including eight deaths across two districts in Tanzania," WHO said.
The organisation said surveillance and response capacities should be strengthened at relevant points of entry.
"Collaboration with neighbouring countries should be enhanced to harmonize reporting mechanisms,” WHO noted.
According to WHO, reports from in-country sources noted that six people were infected in Kagera, five of whom died on January 10, 2025.
“The cases presented with similar symptoms of headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhoea, haematemesis (vomiting with blood), malaise (body weakness) and, at a later stage of disease, external haemorrhage (bleeding from orifices),” WHO noted.
A day later, nine suspected cases were reported including eight deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR) of 89 per cent) across two districts – Biharamulo and Muleba.
"Samples from two patients have been collected and tested by the National Public Health Laboratory. Results are pending official confirmation. Contacts, including healthcare workers, are reported to have been identified and under follow-up in both districts," WHO said.
National rapid response teams were deployed to support outbreak investigation and response; surveillance activities have been intensified with contact tracing ongoing; laboratory samples from recent cases have been sent for confirmation at the National Public Health Laboratory.
"A mobile laboratory is located in the Kagera region and treatment units have reportedly been established," it said.
