Marburg in Tanzania Kills 8 People According to the WHO
Kanako Mita and Michiyo Tanabe
Modern Tokyo Times
The Marburg virus is suspected of killing 8 out of 9 people who caught this deadly virus in Tanzania. This happened in the Kagera region.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said these cases occurred in the last five days. Hence, the WHO expects new cases to be announced.
Kagera in Tanzania is a hub for people crossing between Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The WHO said, “The reporting of suspected MVD cases from two districts suggests geographic spread. The delayed detection and isolation of cases, coupled with ongoing contact tracing, indicates lack of full information of the current outbreak. More cases are expected to be identified.”
AP News reports, “Without treatment, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with the disease. Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and in some cases death from extreme blood loss. There is no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg.”
In March 2023, a similar outbreak of Marburg killed six people in Tanzania for the first time.
Last year, a new outbreak of Marburg was also announced in Rwanda.
The BBC reports, “In December, neighboring Rwanda declared the outbreak over in the country after the virus infected 66 people and killed 15.”
Healthcare workers are among the latest cases.
The Guardian reports, “Outbreaks typically begin via human contact with fruit bats, which act as an animal reservoir for the virus.”
It is hoped that the rapid response to the latest outbreak of Marburg in Tanzania will contain the crisis.
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