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WHO fears Marburg virus has been confirmed in samples taken from remote Tanzania region
Tanzania’s president said a sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania has tested positive for Marburg disease – a highly contagious virus that can be fatal in 88 percent of cases without treatment. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said a test confirmed the Marburg case; 25 other samples were negative. Like Ebola, Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. Read on to know more.
WHO first reported the suspected Marburg outbreak, which has killed 8 people in remote Kagera, Tanzania
A sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania tested positive for Marburg. Symptoms of this serious illness begin like flu but can progress to severe vomiting, bleeding and neurological problems. According to experts, the highly contagious virus can be fatal in 88 percent of cases without treatment.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan with World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
The World Health Organization was the first to report on the suspected outbreak of Marburg earlier this month, which has killed eight people in Tanzania’s remote Kagera region. Later, local officials disputed this and said that testing of the samples had returned negative results. However, on Monday Tanzanian President Samia Suluhi Hassan said further tests had confirmed a case from Marburg. However, 25 other samples were negative, he 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 the blood vessels and causes bleeding. It is part of the same virus family as Ebola.
Although the disease is rare, outbreaks occasionally occur in some areas of Africa. During these outbreaks, anywhere from a few people to hundreds of people are infected at almost the same time. The most recent Marburg outbreak was in 2023.
the current one is Second outbreak of Marburg in Kagera And it comes just a month after Rwanda, which shares a border with Kagera, declared an outbreak of the disease. Rwandan authorities reported a total of 15 deaths and 66 cases in the outbreak first declared on September 27, with the majority of those affected being health workers who had previously handled patients.
Marburg virus symptoms and signs
Some signs and symptoms of Marburg, which occurs in two stages, include:
- Fever
- feeling cold
- severe headache
- cough
- muscle and joint pain
- sore throat
- rashes
- stomach and chest pain
- vomiting and diarrhea
- Dizziness
- unexpected weight loss
- bloody stool or vomit
- bleeding from your nose, mouth, eyes, or vagina
- confusion and delirium
How does Marburg virus spread?
According to doctors, two related viruses—Marburg virus (MARV) and Raven virus (RAVV)—caused this outbreak. Since Marburg virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever, it damages your blood vessels and causes severe bleeding. It spreads through contact with body fluids of infected humans or animals.
Body fluids include blood, urine or feces, feces, spit, human milk, and semen. You can also get it from surfaces, objects, or medical equipment that are contaminated with the virus. You are at risk for the virus if you:
- work with animals that carry it
- Work in mines, caves, or other environments where fruit bats live
- have been in close contact with or are caring for someone who is infected
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Second outbreak of Marburg in Kagera
Marburg virus symptoms and signs
