By Bunmi Yekini
Tanzania has officially declared the end of its second Marburg virus disease outbreak after 42 days without new cases, the country’s health authorities announced today. The outbreak, which began on January 20 in the north-eastern Kagera region, resulted in two confirmed and eight probable cases, all of whom succumbed to the virus.
Health authorities, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, swiftly responded by reinforcing surveillance, infection control, and public awareness efforts. WHO Representative in Tanzania, Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses, praised the collective effort in containing the outbreak.
“The dedication of frontline health workers and the efforts of the national authorities and our partners have paid off,” he said. “While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak.”
More than 1,000 frontline health workers were trained in disease surveillance, contact tracing, and public health risk communication. WHO also provided over five tonnes of essential medical supplies to support Tanzania’s response.
Building on the lessons from both the 2023 and 2025 outbreaks, Tanzania is bolstering its disease detection and surveillance systems to improve future outbreak responses. WHO and partners are also supplying additional laboratory equipment to strengthen preparedness.
Marburg virus disease, a highly virulent haemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, has had outbreaks in several African countries, including Angola, Uganda, and Ghana. Patients often present with high fever, severe headache, and malaise, followed by severe haemorrhagic symptoms.
While Tanzania has contained the outbreak, authorities emphasize continued vigilance to prevent future outbreaks of the deadly virus.