The Foreign Office has issued a warning for Brits planning a winter sun getaway in Tanzania. Certain regions of the equatorial holiday spot are currently experiencing a deadly outbreak of Marburg Virus.
Namely the Kagera region has seen 10 active cases reported as Marburg, only two have been confirmed though. Tragically, nine deaths have already been recorded as part of the outbreak putting the fatality rate at almost 90%.
An update on the official Gov.uk website now warns British travellers: “The Government of Tanzania issued a travel advisory note on 21 January, mandating that travellers have their body temperature checked at all points of entry following an outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Kagera region. You must be ready to show your return or onward ticket at border control.”
Birmingham Live highlighted that the new process for travellers leaving the Kagera region will face a mandatory exit screening and will need to complete an online form. This is the same region that sparked a headline-making outbreak in 2023 and has raised concerns about the potential spread as the area is a transit hub and borders Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
The World Health Organisation notes that Marburg Virus Disease is rare but severe and often fatal in humans. In certain outbreaks, fatality rates have swung drastically from 24% to 88% in the past.
There is no cure or vaccine for the virus but scientists at Oxford launched the first human vaccine trial for Marburg last June. Currently, treatment largely focuses on providing supportive care for the patient and combatting the symptoms individually.
Symptoms can include a high fever, severe headache and a severe feeling of general discomfort in the body at the early stages. As the disease progresses it can cause muscle aches and pains, which are common, followed by severe watery diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramping.
Some patients also report developing a rash that isn’t itchy within a week of their symptoms starting. The WHO warns: “In fatal cases, death occurs most often between eight and nine days after symptom onset, usually preceded by severe blood loss and shock.”
In humans, the disease travels via direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people as well as contaminated surfaces and materials like clothing. However, people are only contagious once symptoms start, which can take anywhere from two days to three weeks after being infected to appear.
Alongside this latest health scare in the country, visitors are still advised by the Foreign Office not to forget about other common illnesses they should be protected against when travelling to Tanzania. This includes dengue fever, malaria and cholera but the department warns some people may also be at risk of altitude sickness in certain parts of the country.