Tanzanian President Samia Sukhulu Hassan has confirmed an outbreak of the Marburg virus

Tanzania’s president has announced an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus, just a week after its health minister denied there were any cases in the country.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan told a news conference on Monday that health authorities had confirmed one case of Marburg in the northwestern region of Kagera.

“We are confident that we will overcome this problem again,” Samia said, referring to a previous outbreak in Tanzania two years ago.

On January 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a suspected Marburg outbreak in the country, recording nine suspected cases and eight deaths in five days in Kagere.

But Tanzania’s health minister, Jenista Mkhagama, said all suspected cases had been tested negative for Marburg after samples were tested.

At a press briefing on Monday, which was held jointly with the WHO, President Samia said her government had stepped up its efforts and that a rapid response team had been sent to check all suspected cases.

Marburg is highly contagious, with symptoms including fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death from severe blood loss.

According to WHO, on average, the virus kills half of the people infected with it.

Tanzania says that along with the one confirmed case, authorities have taken samples from another 24 people suspected in Marburg. All of them gave a negative result.

Meanwhile, the cause of the eight deaths reported by the WHO has not yet been determined.

Tanzania experienced its first outbreak of Marburg in March 2023 in Bukoba district. It killed six people and lasted almost two months.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the global risk from the current outbreak in Tanzania was “low”.

“Although there are no approved treatments or vaccines, outbreaks can be stopped quickly,” he said. “WHO does not recommend imposing restrictions. Now is the time for cooperation.”

On Thursday, the Africa CDC, the African Union’s health agency, said more than 300 contacts had been identified for further testing. Health workers account for 56 of these contacts, while 16 on the list are known to have had direct contact with those suspected in Marburg.

International Medical Regulations (IMR) 2005. require countries to report public health events and emergencies that may cross borders. Kagera is a transit hub with many people traveling to and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

In December, neighboring Rwanda announced that an outbreak in the country that had infected 66 people and killed 15 was over.

The Marburg virus is transmitted to humans from fruit bats, and then through contact with the body fluids of infected individuals.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus, although trials are underway.