Tanzania and the World Health Organisation confirmed on Monday the outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region

Tanzania’s president says one sample from a remote northern part of the country has tested positive for Marburg disease.

Officials previously questioned whether the deadly disease was indeed present in the African country, which had seen 8 suspected Marburg deaths.

An outbreak of Marburg virus disease has been confirmed in Tanzania in the northwestern Kagera region following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said that one sample had tested positive for the Marburg virus in a remote area of northern Tanzania.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a suspected outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Kagera region of northwestern Tanzania, with nine people reportedly infected, of whom eight have died.

Tanzania's president has announced an outbreak of Marburg virus, an Ebola-like virus, just a week after her health minister denied that there were any cases in the country. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at a press conference on Monday that health authorities had confirmed one case of Marburg in the north-western region of Kagera.