Tanzania has refuted a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the north-western part of the country.
The WHO had reported nine suspected cases and eight deaths in the Kagera region over the last five days.
However, Tanzania’s Health Minister Jenista Mhagama announced that laboratory results showed all suspected cases were negative for Marburg virus.
This development comes after Tanzania experienced its first Marburg outbreak in March 2023, which killed six people and lasted for nearly two months.
The highly infectious disease, similar to Ebola, presents symptoms such as fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting, and in severe cases, death due to extreme blood loss.
Despite the WHO’s warning of potential further cases, Tanzania has strengthened its surveillance systems and disease monitoring.
The country’s health minister assured international organizations, including the WHO, that they would be kept informed of any developments.
The WHO had cautioned that the risk of the virus spreading in the region remained high due to Kagera’s status as a transit hub with significant cross-border movement.
However, the global health agency did not recommend travel or trade restrictions with Tanzania at this time, noting that the global risk posed by the outbreak was low.
