The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Tanzania has identified its first-ever cases of Marburg, a viral hemorrhagic fever with a high mortality rate and symptoms that are mostly similar to those of Ebola.
In a statement released by the WHO late on Tuesday, it was noted that five of the eight people who experienced the symptoms; fever, vomiting, bleeding, and kidney failure, died after developing them in Tanzania’s northwest Kagera district.
A health professional was among the fatalities, according to the WHO. The 161 contacts of the three survivors were being watched as they received treatment.
“The efforts by Tanzania’s health authorities to establish the cause of the disease is a clear indication of the determination to effectively respond to the outbreak,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.
“We are working with the government to rapidly scale up control measures to halt the spread of the virus.”
Marburg, which has a death rate as high as 88% and is spread to humans by fruit bats, is in the same virus family as Ebola. Following that, it spreads by contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals.
According to the WHO, symptoms such as a high temperature, a terrible headache, and a general malaise usually appear seven days after infection.
In addition, Equatorial Guinea is dealing with its first-ever Marburg outbreak, which was verified in February.