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Tanzania Confirms New Case of Deadly Marburg Virus

The announcement follows earlier reports of suspected cases and deaths in the Kagera region, with WHO pledging support to contain the outbreak.

A medical worker carries a meal to an isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after coming into contact with a carrier of the Marburg Virus, at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, October 8, 2014. Tanzania’s president said that one sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania tested positive for the disease,
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Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on January 20, 2025

Overview

  • Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan confirmed one positive case of the Marburg virus in the Kagera region, with 25 other samples testing negative.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) initially reported nine suspected cases and eight deaths in Kagera, though the cause of the deaths remains unconfirmed.
  • This marks Tanzania’s second Marburg outbreak since 2023, when the virus affected nine people and caused six deaths in the same region.
  • Marburg virus, similar to Ebola, has a fatality rate of up to 88% and spreads through contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces, with no approved vaccine or treatment available.
  • WHO and African health agencies are assisting Tanzania with outbreak control measures, including testing, treatment centers, and public awareness campaigns, while assessing the global risk as low.