According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a suspected Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania has claimed at least eight lives. The number one health body in the world also reported nine suspected cases in the Kagera region. The virus, a highly fatal hemorrhagic fever with up to 88% mortality rate, belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus and spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that more cases will likely be discovered as disease surveillance improves. Meanwhile, samples from two patients are undergoing confirmation testing at Tanzania’s national laboratory. The WHO warned that the outbreak poses a high regional risk due to Kagera’s role as a transit hub near Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nevertheless, the global risk remains low. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the virus.
Source: Aljazeera