Death Toll Rises in Tanzania’s Marburg Virus Outbreak
Sanitary Inspection in Tanzania Photo: WHO Africa Region
February 6, 2025 Hour: 2:01 pm
The death toll from the Marburg virus outbreak in northwestern Tanzania has risen to 10, the African Union’s public health agency (AU) confirmed on Thursday. The outbreak, which was declared on January 20, has resulted in 10 infections, all of which have ended in fatalities, highlighting the high lethality of the disease.
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The outbreak is located in the Kagera region, which borders Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi, underscoring the importance of cross-border surveillance as patients can easily move between countries, according to microbiologist Yap Boum, deputy director of the Mpox Incident Management System, managed by the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The Africa CDC deployed teams to Tanzania after the outbreak was declared, marking the second time the country has faced the Marburg virus, after a previous outbreak in the same area in 2023. These teams also managed a recent outbreak in Rwanda, where the Marburg epidemic was declared over on December 20, following 66 confirmed cases, 15 deaths, and 51 recoveries.
As part of efforts to contain the virus, 281 contacts of the infected individuals have been identified and are under surveillance. Of these, 132 individuals have completed a 21-day monitoring period.
Tanzania has launched a national response plan with an estimated budget of 10.8 million dollars (around 10.4 million euros) to tackle the outbreak, supported by the Africa CDC.
Previous Outbreak and High Fatality Rate
Kagera was also the site of Tanzania’s first Marburg outbreak in 2023, which resulted in nine cases (eight confirmed and one probable) and six deaths. That outbreak was declared between March 21 and June 2 of the same year.
The Marburg virus, like Ebola, causes sudden hemorrhages and can lead to death within days, with an incubation period of 2 to 21 days and a fatality rate of up to 88%. The virus’s natural hosts are fruit bats, and it can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, vomit, or urine.
Since its discovery in 1967 in Marburg, Germany, the virus has killed over 3,500 people in Africa. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: DW-Africanews
