Tanzania Confirms Deadly Marburg Virus Outbreak, WHO Issues Warning

Last Updated:January 21, 2025, 18:45 IST

The Marburg virus, a deadly relative of Ebola, has resurfaced in Tanzania, infecting nine and killing eight. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a travel warning. No vaccine or specific treatment exists.

Marburg virus disease presents a serious threat due to its haemorrhagic nature, sharing similarities with Ebola. (Representative/AP File)

The Marburg virus, a close relative of Ebola, is a deadly disease that causes haemorrhaging and has a high mortality rate. This virus has recently resurfaced in Tanzania, infecting nine people and claiming the lives of eight.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed concern over the Marburg virus disease outbreak and issued an immediate warning to people travelling to Tanzania. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease. Of significant concern is the high risk the virus poses to healthcare workers, who are vulnerable to infection when treating infected patients.

9 deaths in Tanzania since January 11

According to a Daily Mail report, the World Health Organisation has assembled a team to address the outbreak of this disease in the north-eastern Kagera region of Tanzania. All cases thus far have originated in this area. Doctors are advised to exercise extreme caution when treating patients. Similar warnings have been issued by medical professionals in Tanzania’s neighbouring countries, Rwanda and Burundi.

Local authorities have recently issued a warning about Marburg following a reported outbreak. Six people in the area reportedly contracted the virus, resulting in five fatalities. Experts confirmed these deaths from Marburg after a preliminary investigation. WHO officials stated that since 11 January, nine people have been infected with Marburg, and eight of them have died.

Marburg Virus: A Haemorrhagic Threat

Marburg virus disease presents a serious threat due to its haemorrhagic nature, sharing similarities with Ebola. This virus causes haemorrhagic fever, characterised by fever accompanied by bleeding from bodily orifices.

Notably, blood often flows from the eyes, nose, and mouth. Initial symptoms encompass fever, severe headache, cough, muscle pain, throat pain, and skin rashes. Following a brief respite of a day or two, patients experience stomach and chest pain, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, and dizziness. Ultimately, the disease progresses to bleeding from bodily orifices.

How does this disease spread

The Marburg virus is present in all bodily fluids of an infected individual. Transmission occurs when a healthy person comes into contact with the bodily fluids or contaminated belongings of an infected person. Bodily fluids include blood, faeces, urine, saliva, breast milk, semen, and vaginal fluids. These fluids can contaminate surfaces and clothing, posing an infection risk. Consequently, healthcare workers and those in close contact with infected individuals are particularly vulnerable to contracting Marburg disease.

How has it originated

The origins of Marburg disease are still debated, but the first identified outbreaks occurred in 1967 simultaneously in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). These outbreaks were linked to laboratory work with African green monkeys imported from Uganda. While the initial transmission was from animals to humans, subsequent spread occurred through human-to-human contact.

WHO states that Marburg disease has a case fatality rate of up to 88%, meaning that approximately nine out of ten infected individuals may succumb to the disease. Although Rwanda recently declared an end to its Marburg outbreak, neighbouring Tanzania is now facing a concerning situation. In Rwanda, 66 people contracted the virus, with healthcare workers accounting for 80% of the cases.

Although an older disease, Marburg has resurfaced in 2023. Previous outbreaks highlight its severity: in Uganda in 2012, the disease claimed 15 lives. Between 2004 and 2005, Angola experienced a significant outbreak with 252 cases and 227 fatalities. The Democratic Republic of Congo also battled the disease between 1998 and 2000, resulting in 128 deaths. The initial outbreak in 1967 resulted in 31 fatalities across Germany and Yugoslavia.

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News world Tanzania Confirms Deadly Marburg Virus Outbreak, Who Issues Warning