The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the outbreak of Marburg Virus in Tanzania. WHO has informed its Member States and IHR State Parties of an outbreak of suspected Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Kagera region of the United Republic of Tanzania using our secure web-based platform the Event Information Site.
WHO received reliable reports from in-country sources regarding suspected cases of MVD in the Kagera region of the United Republic of Tanzania. Six people were reported to have been affected, five of whom had died.
Marburg virus can spread between people through direct contact or via blood and other bodily fluids of infected people, including contaminated bedding or clothing.
Marburg virus can spread between people through direct contact or via blood and other bodily fluids of infected people, including contaminated bedding or clothing.
“A suspected outbreak of the Marburg virus in northwest Tanzania has infected 9 people, killing 8 of them,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, weeks after an outbreak of the disease was declared over in neighbouring Rwanda.
The viral hemorrhagic fever has a fatality rate as high as 88%, and is from the same virus family as the one responsible for Ebola, which is transmitted to people from fruit bats which are endemic to that part of East Africa.
The WHO said it received reliable reports of suspected cases in the Kagera region of Tanzania on January 10, with symptoms of headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhea, vomiting blood, muscle weakness and finally external bleeding.
“The samples from two patients were awaiting testing at Tanzania’s national laboratory for confirmation of the outbreak, WHO said in a statement on Tuesday (January 14, 2025).
The patients’ contacts, including healthcare workers, have been identified and were being followed up, WHO reported.
The outbreak in Rwanda, which shares a border with Tanzania’s Kagera region, infected 66 people and killed 15 before it was declared over on December 20, 2024.
Marburg virus can spread between people through direct contact or via blood and other bodily fluids of infected people, including contaminated bedding or clothing.
An outbreak in the Kagera region in March 2023 killed six people and lasted for nearly two months.
National rapid response teams have been 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 Kagera region and treatment units have reportedly been established.
