A sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania tested positive for Marburg. This serious disease has symptoms that start flu-like but can progress to severe vomiting, bleeding, and neurological issues. According to experts, the highly infectious virus can be fatal in up to 88 per cent of cases without treatment.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, along with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyess The World Health Organisation was the first to report earlier this month on a suspected outbreak of Marburg that had killed eight people in Tanzania’s remote Kagera region. Later, it was disputed by the local authorities, saying tests on samples had returned negative results. However, on Monday, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhi Hassan said that further tests had confirmed a case of Marburg.
However, 25 other samples were negative, she said. How does Marburg originate? According to experts, Marburg outbreaks usually start by spreading from bats or monkeys to humans. From there, it can spread from human to human and cause outbreaks.
It is a viral hemorrhagic fever that damages blood vessels and causes bleeding. It’s part of the same family of viruses as Ebola. While the disease is rare, there are sometimes outbreaks in certain areas of Africa.
During these outbreaks, anywhere from a few people to hundreds are infected around the same time. The most recent Marburg outbreak was in 2023. The present one is the second outbreak of Marburg in Kagera and comes e.
