Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on January 20 announced that it is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after the country confirmed one case and identified 25 suspected cases in the northwestern region of Kagera.
To support the Tanzanian government’s efforts, the African Union’s public health agency is committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management.
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This comes after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday confirmed the country’s second outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in two years. Speaking at a joint news conference with World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Hassan said that laboratory tests conducted at the Kabaile mobile laboratory in the northwestern Kagera region and later confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one person in Biharamulo District as infected with MVD.
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The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. The latest outbreak in Tanzania marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
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“In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement,” the African Union’s public health agency said in its statement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, it added, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC announced that it is committed to working closely with the government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Africa CDC is autonomous and supports member states in strengthening health systems. It also helps improve disease surveillance, emergency response, and disease control.
