Dar es Salaam – Tanzania at the moment declared the top of Marburg virus illness outbreak after recording no new circumstances over 42 days for the reason that loss of life of the final confirmed case on 28 January 2025.
The outbreak, wherein two confirmed and eight possible circumstances have been recorded (all deceased), was the second the nation has skilled. Each this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred within the north-eastern Kagera area.
In response to the newest outbreak, Tanzania’s well being authorities arrange coordination and response methods, with help from World Well being Group (WHO) and companions, on the nationwide and regional ranges and strengthened management measures to swiftly detect circumstances, improve scientific care, an infection prevention in addition to strengthen collaboration with communities to boost consciousness and assist curb additional unfold of the virus.
Rising experience in public well being emergency response within the African area has been essential in mounting efficient outbreak management measures. Drawing on expertise from the response to the 2023 Marburg virus illness outbreak, WHO labored intently with Tanzanian well being authorities to quickly scale up key measures similar to illness surveillance and skilled greater than 1000 frontline well being staff in touch tracing, scientific care and public well being threat communication. The Group additionally delivered over 5 tonnes of important medical provides and tools.
“The dedication of frontline well being staff and the efforts of the nationwide authorities and our companions have paid off,” mentioned Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Consultant in Tanzania. “Whereas the outbreak has been declared over, we stay vigilant to reply swiftly if any circumstances are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to supply psychosocial care to households affected by the outbreak.”
Constructing on the momentum through the acute part of the outbreak response, measures have been put in place to bolster the capability of native well being services to reply to potential future outbreaks. WHO and companions are procuring further laboratory provides and different tools for illness detection and surveillance and different vital companies.
Marburg virus illness is extremely virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the identical household because the virus that causes Ebola virus illness. Sickness attributable to Marburg virus begins abruptly. Sufferers current with excessive fever, extreme headache and extreme malaise. They might develop extreme haemorrhagic signs inside seven days.
Within the African area, earlier outbreaks and sporadic circumstances have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
