Marburg Virus Disease Has Been Contained In Kagera Region, Northwest Tanzania
Tanzanian Minister of Health, Ummy Mwalimu has issued a Public Statement that the outbreak of Marburg virus disease has been put under control and there is no more cases or deaths, so the residents are urged to continue with their daily routines,with no extrem anxious but taking all precautions until the government and other international agencies are convinced that the virus is completely over.
The healthcare workers are reminded of Infections’ Prevention and Control(IPC), a practical evidence-based approach.
Tanzania’s National Public Health Laboratory analysed samples to determine the cause of illness after eight people in Kagera region developed symptoms including fever, vomiting, bleeding and renal failure. Five of the eight cases, including a health worker, have died.
The Ministry of Health announced the outbreak on 21st March 2023, after laboratory tests were carried out following reports of cases and deaths in Maruku and Kanyangereko Wards of Bukoba District Council in Kagera Region.
She informed that until 4 April,2023 there were eight cases,among them five people died and the remaining two were receiving treatment, adding that a 26-year-old male patient was discharged from the hospital after recovery.
Total of 212 who were suspected to have contacts were identified,among them 35 have been released from isolation after 21 days as there were no signs of symptoms and the rest are being monitored.
“I would like to inform Tanzanians and International community that there are no new cases of the virus. The virus has been contained in two wards within the Kagera region; the two remaining contacts are being monitored and once reached the 21 days of isolation as per World Health Organisation’s(WHO) guidelines, we shall issue a statement”,said Minister of Health,Ummy Mwalimu.
Minister of Health applauded WHO country representative,Dr Zabulon Yoti(Medical Officer, Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Respond), and UNICEF country representative, Ms Shalini Bahuguna, for supporting the Ministry of Health to deploy an emergency team to Kagera which worked successfully under Kagera Medical Officer, Issessanda Kaniki.
Also there was an awarenes education in Goziba Island of Kagera region,where the first suspect was said had come from there, of taking precautions which is to avoid contact with blood and body fluids, and avoid contact with semen from a person who has recovered from Marburg.
Also people are encouraged to wash hands with running water.
The Marburg virus is highly dangerous and contagious. It causes a severe fever, often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.
It is part of the so-called filovirus family, which also includes Ebola, which has wreaked havoc in several previous outbreaks in Africa, including in Uganda.
The suspected natural source of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen but does not fall sick from it.
The virus takes its name from the German city of Marburg, where it was first identified in 1967 in a lab where workers had been in contact with infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.
The suspected natural source of the Marburg virus is the African fruit bat, which carries the pathogen but does not fall sick from it.
The virus takes its name from the German city of Marburg, where it was first identified in 1967 in a lab where workers had been in contact with infected green monkeys imported from Uganda.
By Mutayoba Arbogast
