Eight people have been killed in a suspected outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease in the Kagera region of Tanzania, according to the World Health Organization.
Nine cases have been reported across two districts in Kagera, including among some health workers. Officials, who are still searching for the initial source of the outbreak, expect more cases to be identified.
Last fall, Rwanda saw a separate outbreak of the disease, which is similar to Ebola. More than 60 people were infected and at least 15 had died by the end of November.
The WHO considers the regional risk from Marburg virus disease to be high because Kagera is a transport hub. Officials are concerned that it could spread to nearby countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But the global risk from the disease is currently low. It doesn’t spread easily between people and there is no evidence it has passed across any international borders.
Nobody has ever caught Marburg in the U.S., but one case was imported from Uganda back in 2008. A 44-year-old woman became ill after visiting the country for a two-week safari, in which she had visited a cave where bats roost. She did not spread the disease to anyone else, and no other members of her tour group tested positive for the virus.
That same year, a 40-year-old Dutch tourist also developed Marburg virus after visiting the cave.
What Is Marburg Virus?
Marburg is a rare but severe disease that causes fever and bleeding disorders. It is related to Ebola, which infected an estimated 28,000 people and killed 11,000 during an outbreak in 2014 and 2015.
It causes symptoms including fever, headache, chills, rash, sore throat, muscle ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Signs of Marburg virus disease usually appear between two and 12 days after exposure. They can progress to much more serious symptoms, including shock, delirium, bleeding, liver failure and multi-organ dysfunction.
How Does Marburg Virus Disease Spread?
The illness is spread by the Marburg virus, which is found in the urine, saliva and excrement of Egyptian rousette bats. The virus can pass to humans through contact with these substances.
Once a person becomes infected, they can transmit the virus to others via their own bodily fluids.
It can also infect non-human primates like apes and monkeys. In fact, the Marburg virus is named for a town in Germany where monkeys spread the disease to humans decades ago. Scientists caught the disease from monkeys they were using in research back in 1967.
How To Protect Against Marburg Virus
Because Marburg spreads through infected bodily fluids, it’s important to avoid contact with the blood and other fluids of people who are sick or who have died. This includes handling items that might be contaminated with their fluids.
Even if someone has recovered, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with their semen until testing shows it no longer contains the virus.
People in areas with the Marburg virus should avoid Egyptian rousette bats and non-human primates.
