Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak | 20 Jan 2025

Source: DTE 

A suspected outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Tanzania’s Kagera region has raised alarm after claiming 8 lives. 

• About MVD: MVD is a deadly hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus, characterized by high fatality rates of 89% and the absence of approved treatments. 
  • Symptoms: The virus causes severe symptoms, including fever, headache, vomiting blood, and bleeding, resembling the Ebola virus. 
  • Transmission: It is transmitted to humans from fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. 
  • Diagnosis: It is confirmed using tests such as RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction). 
• About Tanzania: Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) is the largest country in East Africa and includes the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and Mafia. 
  • It is bordered by the Indian Ocean and eight countries.  
  • It is bordered by 3 of the largest lakes in Africa i.e., Lake Victoria (world's 2^nd largest freshwater lake), Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Nyasa. 

Read More: India Tanzania Relations