Tanzania has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in its northwest region. President Hassan and WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the situation, highlighting response efforts and funds allocated to contain the virus.

The World Health Organization says an outbreak of suspected Marburg disease has killed eight people in a remote part of northern Tanzania

WHO was the first to report on Jan 14 of a suspected outbreak of Marburg that had killed eight people in Tanzania's Kagera region.

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.

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

Tanzania’s president said Monday that one sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania tested positive for Marburg disease, a highly infectious virus which can be fatal in up to 88% of cases without treatment.