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.

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

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.