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The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has deployed 12 public health experts to support Tanzania in its fight against a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak.

The outbreak was confirmed by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday after one confirmed case and 25 suspected cases were identified in the northwest of the country.

In a statement, Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr Jean Kaseya said he has been in close communication with President Hassan and Tanzania’s Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts.

“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing two million U.S. dollars to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management,” he said.

This marks the country’s second encounter with the highly infectious virus, following a similar outbreak in the Bukoba District in 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six fatalities.

“Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and that of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Kaseya added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also released three million U.S. dollars from its contingency fund for emergencies to support efforts to contain the outbreak in Tanzania.