Marburg virus disease

On 20 January 2025, Tanzania declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of northwestern Tanzania. On 13 March 2025, the Ministry of Health declared the end of the outbreak after two consecutive incubation periods (42 days in total) since the last person confirmed with MVD died on 28 January 2025.

As of 12 March 2025, two confirmed and eight probable cases were reported by the Ministry of Health from Biharamulo district in Kagera region. All 10 cases died (case fatality ratio 100%), including eight who died before the confirmation of the outbreak. A total of 272 contacts that were listed for monitoring completed their 21-day follow-up as of 10 February 2025.

The Ministry of Health developed a national response plan to guide activities.  Additionally, a national rapid response team was deployed to the affected region to enhance outbreak investigation and response, with technical and operational support from WHO and health partners.

The Tanzania outbreak follows an outbreak, declared on 27 September 2024, of MVD in Rwanda. The Government of Rwanda declared an end to the Rwanda MVD outbreak on 20 December 2024.

MVD is a filovirus and, like Ebola virus disease (EVD), is a viral haemorrhagic fever that can have fatality rates as high as 90%. MVD is not airborne and is not considered to be contagious before symptoms appear. Direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated items is therefore necessary for transmission to occur. With good infection prevention and control (IPC) in place, risk of infection is considered minimal. There is currently no approved treatment or vaccine for MVD. Supportive care is therefore advised, and surveillance, IPC, and isolation of cases (i.e., public health and social measures) are critical to controlling an outbreak of MVD.

Community engagement and risk communication activities must emphasise early care-seeking and be sensitive to the barriers people perceive that they face in accessing formal healthcare. Associated cross-pillar community engagement activities should seek to address those barriers. Communication and intervention strategies must be culturally sensitive, align with community values, and address specific local concerns to improve the effectiveness and uptake of public health measures.

SSHAP’s resources on MVD focus on key response considerations, including national response capabilities, local governance structures, and regional and economic implications.