Tanzania investigates mysterious sickness after 3 deaths
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The three fatal cases are among the 13 instances that have been reported thus far in Lindi's southeast.
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People use a hand-washing station installed for members of the public entering a market in Dodoma, Tanzania, May 18, 2020 (AP)
The government of Tanzania said on Wednesday that a team of medical professionals and health specialists has been sent to investigate a mysterious illness that has killed three individuals.
Aifello Sichalwe, the government's senior medical officer, stated in a statement that the sickness' symptoms include fever, headaches, lethargy, and nosebleeds.
The three fatal cases are among the 13 instances that have been reported thus far in Lindi's southeast.
According to Sichalwe, the patients' Covid-19, Ebola, and Marburg tests came back negative. He claimed that while the other patients were being segregated, one of the patients had entirely recovered.
"The government formed a team of professionals who are still investigating this unknown disease," he added, calling on people in the area to remain calm.
Last week, Ghana reported two suspected instances of the Marburg virus, which is related to the Ebola virus and exhibits symptoms like high fever and internal and external bleeding.
Samia Suluhu Hassan, the president of Tanzania, stated on Tuesday that the "growing interaction" between people and wild animals as a result of environmental deterioration may be to blame for the "strange" ailment that has been observed in Lindi.
The World Health Organization reported that two people in Ghana who died later tested positive for the Marburg virus, which produces a highly deadly disease comparable to Ebola.
Ghana: Two test positive for highly infectious Marburg virus
The WHO had stated in a statement on Thursday that tests in Ghana came back positive, but those results must be confirmed by a laboratory in Senegal for the cases to be considered confirmed.
According to the statement, the two patients in the southern Ashanti region both showed symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting before dying in hospital.
If the cases are verified, it will be only the second Marburg outbreak in West Africa. The first incidence of the virus was discovered in Guinea last year, and no further cases have been reported.
“Preparations for a possible outbreak response are being set up swiftly as further investigations are underway,” the WHO said.
Since 1967, there have been a dozen large Marburg outbreaks, most of which have occurred in southern and eastern Africa.
The Marburg virus is frequently connected with exposure to Rousettus bat colonies in caverns or mines. According to the WHO, once a human is infected, the virus spreads through contact with infected people's bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces and things.
The sickness manifests itself abruptly, with a high fever, severe headache, and discomfort.
According to the WHO, death rates in previous outbreaks ranged from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus type and case care. Although no licensed vaccines or antiviral treatments are available, oral or intravenous rehydration and treatment of specific symptoms boost survival rates, according to the study.
