Tanzanian President Announces Marburg Virus Detection; Previous Reports by WHO and Local Authorities Reviewed
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has confirmed the detection of the highly infectious Marburg virus in a sample from the northern region of the country.
This announcement comes in light of earlier reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding a suspected outbreak in Tanzania's Kagera region that claimed eight lives.
However, initial findings by local health authorities had disputed these claims, stating that the test results were negative.
In an official statement from Dar es Salaam, President Hassan indicated that follow-up testing confirmed one case of the Marburg virus, while 25 other tested samples returned negative.
The announcement was made during a press briefing alongside WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Marburg virus, similar to Ebola, is believed to originate from fruit bats and is transmitted between humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces such as bedding.
Symptoms of infection include fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and in severe instances, death due to severe bleeding.
There is currently no approved
vaccine or specific treatment for Marburg virus disease, which was first identified in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in the German cities of Marburg and Frankfurt.
The announcement of this confirmed case has intensified monitoring and containment efforts in the region to prevent further spread of the virus.