Tanzania Announces Outbreak of Marburg Virus

Marburg virus disease is an Ebola-like virus that is 88% fatal.  Tanzania announced on March 17th its first ever outbreak in the East African country's northwest region.  There have been five fatalities so far.  161 people have been identified at risk of the disease through contact tracing.  No cases have been reported outside the Kagera region; surveillance has been stepped up in neighboring countries.

The most deadly outbreak of Marburg occurred in Angola in 2004-05 that killed 227 people.  The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever. There are no vaccines or treatments for the virus, but symptoms can be relieved through palliative care, which increases the chance of survival. It is transmitted by fruit bats that come into contact with humans through the consumption of bush meat.  Humans transmit the disease by body fluids or contaminated objects.    It was first discovered in 1967 in Marburg, Germany.   Tanzania is battling its first outbreak just a month after Equatorial Guinea confirmed its first case.