Tanzania denies Marburg outbreak after WHO alert in Kagera region

Tanzania has rejected a World Health Organization (WHO) report of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the country’s north-west.

A total of nine suspected cases, including eight deaths, were reported in the Kagera region over the past five days, the global health agency said on Tuesday.

But in a statement, Tanzanian Health Minister Genista Mghagama said that after analyzing the samples, all suspected cases were found to be negative for Marburg virus.

He said the country has strengthened its surveillance system and disease surveillance.

“We would like to assure international organisations, including WHO, that we will always keep them updated on ongoing developments,” Mghagama said.

Tanzania experienced its first Marburg outbreak in March 2023 in Bukoba district. Six people died and it lasted for about two months.

The highly contagious disease is similar to Ebola, including fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death due to excessive blood loss.

On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of “further cases in the coming days as disease surveillance improves” in the latest suspected outbreak in Tanzania.

WHO said the patients, including health workers, have been identified and are being monitored.

It said the country’s rapid response teams were deployed to help identify suspected cases and contain the outbreak.

WHO cautioned that the risk of the suspected virus spreading in the region remained “high” because Kagera was a transit hub for cross-border movement to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

“We do not recommend travel or trade restrictions with Tanzania at this time,” Dr. Tedros said on Twitter.

WHO said the global risk posed by the outbreak was “low”, and there was no concern at this stage about the disease spreading internationally.

Tanzania’s health minister said, following the reports, a team of experts was immediately deployed to the Kagera region, where they collected samples.

He said laboratory results had ruled out the suspected Marburg outbreak, but the minister did not clarify the total number of suspected cases investigated.

In December, neighboring Rwanda announced that the outbreak had ended in the country, which had infected 66 people and killed 15.

on average, Marburg virus kills half of those who become infectedAccording to WHO.

Marburg virus is spread to humans by fruit bats and then by contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for this virus, although trials are underway.