Marburg virus/FILE
Tanzania has confirmed a Marburg virus disease in the northwestern region of Kagera, the World Health Organisation has said.
The organisation said one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases of the disease.
A total of 25 suspected cases have been reported as of January 20, 2025, all of whom have tested negative, the government said.
The outbreak comes almost two years after the first outbreak in March 2023, when nine cases and six deaths were reported.
“We have demonstrated in the past our ability to contain a similar outbreak and are determined to do the same this time around," President Suluhu Samia Hassan said.
WHO secretary general Thedros Ghebreyeyus who is in Tanzania said the organisation has released $3 million (Sh387m) to Tanzania from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to enable the country control the Marburg outbreak.
He said the amount is in addition to $50,000 (Sh6.45m) that the organisation contributed earlier to support the initial investigation.
Ghebreyeyus, who is in Tanzania on the invitation of President Suluhu Hassan, held a meeting on a wide range of areas concerning her government’s work to strengthen its health system.
The WHO boss expressed pride in Tanzania’s creation of new capacities for delivering health services, including by training health workers.
He said the government's investments in response to the last outbreak have built capacities, which he hopes will enable Tanzania to bring the latest outbreak under control as soon as possible.
"Since the first suspected cases of Marburg were reported earlier, Tanzania has scaled up its response by enhancing case detection, setting up treatment centres and a mobile laboratory for testing samples, and deploying national response teams," Ghebreyeyus said.
Marburg virus is transmitted to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, or from fruit bats.
The outbreak was first reported in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, killing 15 people before the outbreak was declared over in December that year.
There are not yet any approved treatments or vaccines for Marburg, although several are in development.
However, outbreaks can be stopped quickly with proven public health measures to prevent infections and save lives.
Ghebreyeyus advised against restrictions on trade and travel to the country considering the low global risk, and the strong capabilities of the Tanzanian government to bring the outbreak under control.
"Now is a time for collaboration, and commitment, to protecting the health of all people in Tanzania, and the region, from the risks posed by this disease," Ghebreyesus said.