ISTANBUL

Tanzania on Thursday declared the end of a Marburg virus outbreak as no new cases have been reported for 42 days.

“While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak,” said Charles Sagoe-Moses, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the East African country.

No new cases were reported in 42 days, following the death of the last confirmed case on Jan. 28. A total of 10 people died due to the disease, including two confirmed and eight probable cases, according to the WHO.

The latest outbreak in the northwestern region of Kagera was declared on Jan. 20 following the first outbreak in the same region in 2023.

Marburg is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola, a highly virulent disease that causes hemorrhagic fever. The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces, and materials.

Previous outbreaks and scattered cases in Africa were recorded in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, according to the WHO.