Tanzania confirms outbreak of Marburg virus disease

Tanzania has confirmed the outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Northwestern Kagera region, following the identification of one positive case after laboratory analysis of suspected cases.

This was announced on Monday by Tanzania’s President Samia Hassan during a press briefing in the country’s capital, Dodoma, alongside the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus.

WHO recently issued an alert on a suspected outbreak of Marburg disease in the Kagera region, with eight reported deaths out of nine cases.

The global health body raised concerns about cross-border transmission due to the proximity of the Kagera region to international borders with Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Situation report in Tanzania

According to the press release on the website of the WHO Africa Region, laboratory tests confirmed one patient was infected with the Marburg virus, while other suspected patients tested negative.

Mrs Hassan expressed confidence in the country’s ability to contain the outbreak, citing past successes in managing similar health crises.

“Laboratory tests conducted at Kabaile Mobile Laboratory in Kagera and later confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one patient as being infected with the Marburg virus. Fortunately, the remaining suspected patients tested negative,” the president said.

“We have demonstrated in the past our ability to contain a similar outbreak and are determined to do the same this time around.”

She noted that a total of 25 suspected cases have been reported as of 20 January, all of whom have tested negative and are currently under close follow-up. The cases have been reported in Biharamulo district in Kagera.

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WHO efforts

The statement noted that WHO is supporting Tanzanian health authorities to enhance key outbreak control measures including disease surveillance, testing, treatment, infection prevention and control, and case management.

Mr Ghebreyesus said the WHO is committed to supporting the government of Tanzania to bring the outbreak under control as soon as possible, and to build a healthier, safer, fairer future for all the people of Tanzania.

He said this is a time for collaboration, and commitment, to protect the health of all people in Tanzania, and the region, from the risks posed by this disease.

Also, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti emphasised the importance of the president’s declaration and the government’s measures in tackling the Marburg virus disease outbreak.

Ms Moeti said the priority is to support the government to rapidly scale up measures to effectively respond to this outbreak and safeguard the health of the population.

More efforts

Tanzania previously reported an outbreak of the Marburg virus in March 2023, the country’s first- in the Kagera region.

The outbreak resulted in nine cases, with eight confirmed and one probable, and six deaths with a case fatality rate of 67 per cent.

In response to the current outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is deploying a team of 12 public health experts to provide on-ground support in surveillance, diagnostics, and community engagement.

The team comprises epidemiologists, risk communication experts, infection prevention and control specialists, and laboratory experts.

According to the Director-General of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, the agency has committed $2 million to support the Tanzanian government’s efforts to contain the outbreak.

This funding will be used to deploy public health experts, strengthen diagnostics, and enhance case management.

“Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Mr Kaseya said.

More about the Marburg virus

MVD, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola, is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or surfaces contaminated with these fluids.

It is another example of zoonoses such as Lassa fever.

The virus spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people, and with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.

According to NCDC, the initial symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache, body aches which may be accompanied by a rash, most prominent on the chest, back and stomach, nausea/vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain by the fifth day of illness.