Tanzania Confirms Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak in Kagera Region.
TANZANIA: Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has confirmed an outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease in the northwestern Kagera region.
The announcement came after a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to discuss strengthening Tanzania’s health system.
One case of the disease has been confirmed, and the government is scaling up its response by enhancing case detection, establishing treatment centers, setting up a mobile laboratory, and deploying national response teams.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that Tanzania has experience in controlling Marburg, having reported its first outbreak in March 2023 in the same region.
He added that the Country’s Previous experience is expected to help Tanzania bring the outbreak under control quickly.
The WHO is supporting Tanzanian health authorities to enhance outbreak control measures, including disease surveillance, testing, treatment, infection prevention, and control.
Marburg Virus Disease Facts:
* Highly Virulent; Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes hemorrhagic fever.
* Transmission; The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with bodily fluids.
* Symptoms; Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with symptoms including high fever, severe headache, and severe malaise.
