Tanzania has refuted claims made in a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding a possible new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the country’s north-western Kagera region.
In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO reported nine suspected cases of the virus over the preceding five days, including eight fatalities. However, Tanzania’s Minister of Health, Jenista Mhagama, announced that laboratory analysis of samples had confirmed all cases were negative for Marburg virus.
Minister Mhagama affirmed that the nation had bolstered its disease surveillance and monitoring systems. She reassured international organisations, including the WHO, of Tanzania’s commitment to providing timely updates on public health developments.
Tanzania’s first Marburg outbreak occurred in March 2023 in Bukoba district, claiming six lives and lasting nearly two months. The disease, which bears similarities to Ebola, is highly infectious and manifests symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, and severe blood loss in some cases.
Despite Tanzania’s dismissal of the current suspected cases, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Wednesday of the potential for additional cases as surveillance improves. WHO reported that patients, including healthcare workers, were under monitoring and that rapid response teams had been deployed to contain the situation.
The WHO cautioned that the risk of spread within the region remained significant, as Kagera serves as a transit hub with extensive cross-border movements involving the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. However, the organisation did not recommend any travel or trade restrictions with Tanzania, and Dr Tedros stated that the global risk from the suspected outbreak remained low.
Minister Mhagama confirmed that expert teams were dispatched to Kagera to investigate, collect samples, and rule out a Marburg outbreak. She did not provide clarity on the exact number of cases investigated.
The Marburg virus, which has a fatality rate of approximately 50%, is transmitted from fruit bats to humans and spreads through contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals. There are currently no specific treatments or approved vaccines for the virus, though research is ongoing.
Neighbouring Rwanda, which declared a Marburg outbreak in December 2024, had successfully contained the virus after it infected 66 people and caused 15 deaths.
Frances Ibiefo
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