Tanzania’s president says one sample from a remote northern part of the country has tested positive for Marburg disease.

Dr. Tedros highlighted the collaborative effort, stating, “WHO is committed to supporting Tanzania in bringing this outbreak under control while working toward a healthier and safer future for all.”

Officials previously questioned whether the deadly disease was indeed present in the African country, which had seen 8 suspected Marburg deaths.

In March 2023, Tanzania experienced its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare and deadly hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. That outbreak also occurred in the Kagera region, which borders Uganda and Rwanda.

Tanzania has dismissed a World Health Organisation (WHO) report of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the north-west of the country. On Tuesday, the global health agency said a total of nine suspected cases were reported over the last five days in the Kagera region, including eight deaths.

Tanzania has confirmed an outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the northwestern Kagera region after one case tested positive for the virus following investigations and laboratory analysis of suspected cases.

Tanzania’s president said Monday that one sample from a remote part of northern Tanzania tested positive for Marburg disease, a highly infectious virus which can be fatal in up to 88% of cases without treatment.

Tanzania's president has announced an outbreak of Marburg virus, an Ebola-like virus, just a week after her health minister denied that there were any cases in the country. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at a press conference on Monday that health authorities had confirmed one case of Marburg in the north-western region of Kagera.