“We believe that, as Tanzania successfully controlled the outbreak two years ago, the country will manage to control this disease as well. WHO is providing $3 million to support control efforts and strengthen disease monitoring systems,” Dr Tedros said.

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.

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 health minister denied there was an outbreak in the country saying no one had tested positive for the viral infection

In March 2023, Tanzania experienced its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare and deadly hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. That outbreak also occurred in the Kagera region, which borders Uganda and Rwanda.

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.