Tanzania ’s president has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease (MVD), a highly infectious virus like Ebola that can be fatal in up to 88 per cent of cases without treatment.

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

The United Republic of Tanzania has confirmed an outbreak of the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Kagera region, located in the northwest of the country.

Lab tests identified one patient as being infected by the virus, Samia Suluhu Hassan says. The viral hemorrhagic fever has a fatality rate as high as 88%, and is from the same virus family as the one

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.

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