Tanzania has confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases of the disease. 

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced this during a press briefing on Monday with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

“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 from the country’s capital, Dodoma. 

A total of 25 suspected cases have been reported, all of whom have tested negative and are currently under close follow-up, the president said. The cases were reported in Biharamulo district in Kagera. 

“We have demonstrated in the past our ability to contain a similar outbreak and are determined to do the same this time around,” added the president. “We have resolved to reassure the general public in Tanzania and the international community as a whole of our collective determination to address the global health challenges, including the Marburg virus disease.”

Last week, Tanzanian health authorities disputed a WHO report of a suspected outbreak, noting that five suspected cases had tested negative in its laboratories.

Emergency funds

Tedros announced that he has made $3 million available from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies to assist Tanzania in addressing the outbrea, and pledged the WHO’s support for the country.

“Since the first suspected cases of Marburg were reported earlier, Tanzania has scaled up its response by enhancing case detection, setting up treatment centres and a mobile laboratory for testing samples, and deploying national response teams,” Tedros told the media briefing.

“Tanzania has gained strong experience in controlling Marburg as this is the second reported outbreak of the disease in Kagera. The first outbreak was almost two years ago, in March 2023, in which a total of nine cases and six deaths were reported,” he added.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) also pledged support for the country.

“ A team of 12 public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement,” said Africa CDC.

“To support the government’s efforts, we are committing $2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management,” said Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya.

“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.”.

Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats. It spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.

Although several promising candidate medical countermeasures are currently undergoing clinical trials, there currently is no licensed treatment or vaccine for Marburg. 

However, early access to treatment and supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improve survival. 

Previous outbreaks and cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.

Image Credits: WHO.