· As of March 22nd, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting nine confirmed and 20 probable cases of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the country.
· New cases have been reported from Kie Ntem in the east, Littoral in the country’s west, and the Centro Sur provinces. All these areas have international borders with Cameroon and Gabon.
· The areas reporting cases are about 150 kilometres apart, suggesting wider transmission of the virus.
· A total of seven people has died.
· Epidemiological investigations remain ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak.
· National Response updates:
o The National government has activated the public health emergency operation center at Ebibeyin and now in Bata under the leadership of the Minister of Health and the District Chief Medical Officer.
o National health teams have been deployed to the affected districts for active case finding, contact tracing, and clinical management of suspected cases.
· WHO Updates:
o WHO has deployed experts in epidemiology, case management, infection prevention and control (IPC), laboratory, and risk communication to support national response efforts and ensure community engagement.
o WHO is supporting the training of national responders in surveillance, case management, IPC, safe and dignified burial, and risk communication and community engagement.
· Risk Assessment:
o National level: High
o Regional Level: Moderate
o Global Level: Low
Tanzania Highlights:
· On March 21st, the Tanzania Ministry of Health declared an outbreak of MVD in the Bukoba district (Kagera region).
· The Kagera region is bordered by Uganda to the north, Rwanda to the west and Burundi to the southwest.
· There are currently eight confirmed cases and five deaths. One of the deaths was that of a health care worker. The case fatality rate is currently 63%.
· A total of 161 contacts have been identified and are being monitored. In addition, active case search, case management and risk communication are ongoing in affected communities.
· This is the first time a confirmed case of MVD has been reported in the country.
· Three people are undergoing treatment at designated treatment centers.
· The high population mobility within the region poses a risk of cross-border spread.
· The Tanzania government has issued a travel advisory requiring all travelers from the Kagera region to fill out a surveillance form, undergo body temperature checks at points of entry and adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
· The Ministry of Health has deployed rapid response teams to support further investigations.
· Africa Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (Africa CDC) activities:
o A team of experts is deploying to support response efforts in the country.
o Africa CDC has also engaged the Ministry of Health to understand the cross-border context of the outbreak as this would guide regional surveillance strategies in containing the outbreak.
· WHO has deployed an emergency team to carry out further epidemiological investigations:
o The emergency team will focus on active case finding in the community and local health care facilities to identify more contacts and provide them with appropriate care.
Sources:
· WHO Disease Outbreak News, March 22
· WHO African Region Twitter Page
· WHO Tanzania Twitter Page
· Africa CDC Twitter Page
· NETEC Twitter Page
Resources:
NETEC Marburg Virus Resources
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