Death toll from Tanzania Marburg outbreak rises to nine

Friday, January 24, 2025 - An outbreak of the Marburg virus in Tanzania has claimed the lives of nine people, according to the African Union’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which reported the latest figures on Thursday, January 23. This marks an increase from the eight suspected deaths reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) last week.

The east African nation confirmed its second Marburg virus outbreak on Monday, January 21, following a deadly outbreak in 2023 that killed six people. However, Tanzanian authorities have not provided updated figures on recent fatalities. The Africa CDC’s weekly briefing revealed that of the 10 reported cases, nine have already died, reflecting the virus’s high case fatality rate.

Ngashi Ngongo, the chief of staff and head of the executive office at Africa CDC, spoke during an online briefing, emphasizing the severity of the outbreak. “We are doing everything we can with WHO and all the partners,” he said, mentioning that response teams, including those who had dealt with a recent outbreak in neighboring Rwanda, were already on the ground in Tanzania.

A total of 281 contacts have been identified and are being monitored as part of efforts to contain the virus. Ngongo confirmed that 31 tests had been conducted, with two cases confirmed positive and 29 returning negative results. He assured that the reported numbers were accurate and trustworthy.

Tanzania’s government has submitted a response plan valued at $10.8 million, and Africa CDC is awaiting finalization and requests for further support from the country’s administration.

This outbreak follows a Marburg virus epidemic in Rwanda that ended just a month ago, where 15 people lost their lives. The Marburg virus, which causes a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, is transmitted through fruit bats and is part of the same family as the Ebola virus. With a fatality rate that can approach 90%, Marburg causes fever, bleeding, and organ failure, making it one of the most lethal viruses known to humans.