Tanzania's Marburg Virus Announcement: A Considered Approach

Tanzania confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region, after one individual tested positive for the virus. The Kagera region borders Rwanda to the west, Uganda to the north and Burundi to the southwest.

Announcing the development during a press briefing in Dodoma on 20 January 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, alongside WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, assured the public of the government’s readiness to contain the disease. Laboratory tests conducted in Kagera and Dar es Salaam confirmed the case, while 25 other suspected patients have so far tested negative and remain under observation in the Biharamulo district. The World Health Organization is collaborating closely with Tanzanian health authorities to bolster surveillance, testing, treatment, and public awareness.

In these instances, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issues their advisory.

Dr Richard Dawood, ATTA®’s medical advisor and a leading expert in travel medicine, acknowledges that issuing travel advisories is complex, saying that "there is a delicate balance here between causing undue alarm and falsely underplaying the risks." This balance becomes even more critical when considering the World Health Organization's stance against travel restrictions, which they warn can be "potentially harmful to affected societies and economies."

Dr Dawood offers a nuanced perspective on the actual risk to tourists: "For the vast majority of tourist activities, the risk is virtually zero." He emphasises that Marburg is "less easily transmitted" than many other viruses, though more severe when contracted.

Dr Dawood suggests the following:

• The tourism industry can play an important role by implementing measures that reassure and protect travellers during such outbreaks while maintaining operations where safe to do so.
• It is important to be open and honest, and encouraging appropriate pre-travel health precautions for their clients. This approach allows for travellers to be informed and scope for continued tourism while maintaining safety through evidence-based measures.

President Hassan has directed Tanzania's newly appointed Chief Medical Officer, Dr Grace Magembe, to adopt a firm and efficient approach in handling pandemic-related matters. Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of four Court of Appeal judges and other senior officials in Dodoma, she too emphasised the importance of effective public health management, warning against creating unnecessary alarms.