Tanzania Marburg Outbreak

On 20th January 2025, Tanzania confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the north-western Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus. The President of the Republic of Tanzania, Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, made the announcement during a press briefing alongside World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in Dodoma.

The Marburg outbreak is occurring in Biharamulo district Kagera region, where an outbreak that began in March 2023 resulted in nine cases, six of them fatal. Officials have raised concerns about the high risk of further spread, given that Kagera region is a transit hub and borders Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Marburg and Ebola viruses are distinct from each other, both viruses cause clinically similar diseases characterized by hemorrhagic fevers and capillary leakage.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT) health sector’s initial plan is to provide stock Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and medication at their health centres in Kagera region and renovate isolation rooms, thus increasing the ability of hospitals to manage emergency patients with highly infectious cases and prevent further spread. ELCT will launch health prevention campaigns within schools and local communities and train religious leaders on prevention and safe management of Marburg virus.

Tanzania, Marburg Outbreak