DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania announced on Friday that it has successfully contained and ended a deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak, which lasted for over two months, recorded a total of nine cases, with eight confirmed and one probable, resulting in six deaths in the northwestern region of Kagera.
The WHO confirmed that this was the first outbreak of Marburg in Tanzania, a country in East Africa with a population of nearly 62 million. The countdown to declare the end of the outbreak began after the last confirmed case tested negative on April 19, triggering the mandatory 42-day period.
Neighboring Uganda, which shares a porous border with Tanzania and experienced its last Marburg outbreak in 2017, heightened its vigilance following Tanzania’s confirmation of the virus on March 21. Uganda had recently emerged from a four-month-long Ebola outbreak in January, which claimed the lives of 55 individuals.
The WHO commended Tanzania’s health authorities for their prompt response to the outbreak, aided by the UN agency and other partners. Swift measures were taken to control the spread of the virus and save lives.
Marburg is a highly virulent virus belonging to the filovirus family, which also includes Ebola. It causes severe fever, accompanied by bleeding and organ failure. Fatality rates in confirmed cases have ranged from 24% to 88% in previous outbreaks, according to the WHO. The virus is transmitted from fruit bats to humans and spreads among humans through direct contact with infected individuals’ bodily fluids, surfaces, and materials.
Vaccines or Antiviral Treatments for Marburg
Currently, there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments specifically targeting Marburg. However, the WHO stated that potential treatments, such as blood products, immune therapies, drug therapies, and early candidate vaccines, are under evaluation.
The Marburg outbreak in Tanzania coincided with cases in Equatorial Guinea, a West African state where the death toll had risen to 12, according to the health ministry’s latest figures on April 24.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed optimism that the outbreak in Equatorial Guinea would also be declared over in the coming week if no further cases were detected. The WHO will continue to support both countries in strengthening their outbreak prevention and preparedness activities.
Previous outbreaks and sporadic cases of Marburg disease have been reported in Angola, South Africa, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus acquired its name from the German city of Marburg, where it was first identified in 1967 when laboratory workers came into contact with infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.
