The WHO stated that samples from two patients were being tested at Tanzania's national laboratory to confirm the outbreak.

A suspected outbreak of the Marburg virus in northwest Tanzania has affected nine individuals, resulting in eight deaths, according to the World Health Organization. This comes weeks after a similar outbreak in neighboring Rwanda was declared over.

The virus, which causes a severe hemorrhagic fever, has a fatality rate of up to 88% and belongs to the same family as Ebola. It is transmitted to humans through fruit bats, which are native to East Africa. On January 10, the WHO received credible reports of suspected cases in Tanzania’s Kagera region. Symptoms reported include headache, high fever, back pain, diarrhea, vomiting blood, muscle weakness, and external bleeding.

Samples from two patients are currently awaiting confirmation at Tanzania's national laboratory, as stated by the WHO on Tuesday.

Health authorities have identified and are monitoring the contacts of the infected individuals, including healthcare workers.

The outbreak in Rwanda, which borders Tanzania’s Kagera region, infected 66 people and claimed 15 lives before it was declared over on December 20. Marburg virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, including blood, or contaminated materials such as bedding and clothing.

The Kagera region previously experienced an outbreak in March 2023, which resulted in six deaths and lasted nearly two months.