The World Health Organization is releasing $3 million to aid in the response of an outbreak of the deadly Marburg disease that was officially confirmed in Tanzania on Monday. This is in addition to the $50,000 the organization already released to support the investigation of suspected cases.
WHO’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is currently in Tanzania, meeting with the government. Tedros said the country has scaled up its case detection of Marburg, set up treatment centers and a mobile laboratory, and has deployed national response teams.
Marburg is one of the deadliest pathogens to infect humans. The disease, which is similar to Ebola, infects people exposed to bats. It can then spread between humans through bodily fluids and can lead to hemorrhaging and death.