Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania leaves 8 dead; warning symptoms to watch out for

The recent outbreak of

Marburg

virus disease in Tanzania has left eight people dead, raising concerns about the deadly virus’s spread across the country and its neighbours. With a high death rate, Marburg virus also known as

Marburg hemorrhagic fever

can cause fatal illness in humans.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported nine suspected cases of the virus on 11 January in two districts of the Kagera region in the north of the country, including the eight deaths.
“The reporting of suspected MVD cases from two districts suggests geographic spread. The delayed detection and isolation of cases, coupled with ongoing contact tracing, indicates lack of full information of the current outbreak. More cases are expected to be identified,” said WHO in a statement. More cases are expected in coming days as disease surveillance improves.

The disease is concerning as without treatment, it can be fatal in up to 88% of people who fall ill with it. The WHO assessed the suspected outbreak in Tanzania as high risk at national and regional levels but low on a global scale.

Symptoms of Marburg virus

The incubation period for Marburg virus disease (MVD) ranges from 2 to 21 days. Symptoms begin suddenly with high fever, severe headache, and extreme fatigue, often accompanied by muscle pain. By the third day, patients may experience severe watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting, with a non-itchy rash appearing between 2 and 7 days after symptoms start.
From the fifth day, bleeding symptoms may develop, including blood in vomit and stool, nosebleeds, gum bleeding, and bleeding from venepuncture sites. Neurological symptoms like confusion, irritability, and aggression may occur, and in rare cases, orchitis (testicular inflammation) has been reported in later stages.
In fatal cases, death typically occurs 8 to 9 days after symptoms begin, often due to severe blood loss and shock.

How does Marburg virus spread

The Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through human-to-human transmission. There are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for MVD, but a range of vaccines and drug therapies are under development. The virus bears similarities to Ebola. Both the illnesses are rare but can cause outbreaks with high fatality rates.
The announcement follows the recent declaration of the end of an MVD outbreak in neighboring Rwanda, which was linked to fruit bats in a mining cave and resulted in 66 confirmed cases and 15 deaths. Tanzania experienced a previous Marburg outbreak in 2023, also in Kagera, with nine cases and six fatalities.
Case fatality rates of Marburg virus vary from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks.