Tanzania has clarified that the mysterious disease that killed five people in the northern part of the country bordering Uganda has been identified as Marburg hemorrhagic fever.
Marburg is among Ebola family that has killed many in other parts of Africa and the world.
“Our public health laboratory have confirmed that the disease that killed five is caused by Marburg,”Ummy Mwalimu, Tanzania’s Health Minister announced. The authorities are still tracing 161 contacts.
The health Minister also urged citizens not to panic as everything is under control. He urged people to continue with their businesses as usual but take precaution.

Marburg Virus is said to be highly contagious, causes fever, bleeding and organ failure. It derives its name from German city of Marburg where it was first identified in a lab.
The health Authorities attribute the outbreak of Marburg in Tanzania to interaction between humans and wild animals due to environmental degradation.
Last year, Tanzania announced another outbreak of rat fever (leptospirosis) in the southern region of Lindi that killed three.