Suspected Marburg virus outbreak declared in Tanzania; 8 dead

An outbreak of suspected Marburg Disease has been reported in Tanzania, where eight of the nine detected cases have resulted in death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The regional risk of the disease spreading has been classified as “high.”

On Wednesday, the WHO informed Member States of a suspected outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Kagera region of Tanzania, located in Eastern Africa, following reliable reports from sources within the country.

The WHO received initial reports last Friday about six people suspected of being affected by MVD, five of whom had died. The toll rose the following day to nine suspected cases and eight deaths. Samples were collected from two patients, with results pending official confirmation.

Healthcare workers are among the suspected cases, according to the WHO. The source of the outbreak remains unknown.

The cases exhibited symptoms such as headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhea, haematemesis (vomiting blood), malaise (body weakness), and, in the later stages of the disease, external hemorrhage (bleeding from orifices), the WHO stated.

The threat level of the outbreak has been assessed as “high” nationally due to several concerning factors, said WHO. These include the geographical spread of the disease, as cases have been detected in two districts in Tanzania, and the delayed detection and isolation of cases, indicating incomplete information about the outbreak.

The regional threat level has also been declared “high” due to the area’s strategic location as a transit hub with significant cross-border population movement to neighboring countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The WHO emphasized that “some of the suspected cases are in districts near international borders, highlighting the potential for spread into neighboring countries.”

Globally, the threat level is considered “low,” but the WHO expressed concerns about potential risks due to the region’s transportation networks. These include an airport in the region that connects to the country’s capital, Dar es Salaam, and facilitates onward travel outside Tanzania.

This is Tanzania’s second reported outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1967. The first outbreak in the country occurred two years ago, lasting nearly two months and resulting in at least nine cases and six deaths.