Tanzania’s president announced Monday that one sample from northern Tanzania tested positive for Marburg disease. The virus is highly infectious and can be fatal in up to 88% of cases without treatment.
President Samia Suluhu spoke in Dar es Salaam, alongside World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
On January 14, WHO reported a suspected Marburg outbreak in Tanzania’s Kagera region. The outbreak was said to have killed eight people. Tanzanian health officials initially disputed the report, saying tests returned negative results.
However, President Suluhu confirmed Monday that further tests revealed one positive case. She added that 25 other samples came back negative.
Marburg, like Ebola, originates in fruit bats. The virus spreads through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and, in severe cases, death from blood loss. There is no vaccine or authorized treatment for the disease.
