Tanzania can detect Marburg virus within hours, says CDC

DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzania’s ability to identify dangerous disease outbreaks has improved significantly over the past decade, enabling laboratories to diagnose viruses such as Marburg within hours, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC Tanzania Country Director Dr Mahesh Swaminathan said recent investments in laboratory systems, disease surveillance and workforce development had strengthened the country’s outbreak response capacity.

During Tanzania’s recent Marburg outbreak response, samples were tested and confirmed locally rather than being sent abroad, reducing delays that previously could have taken days or weeks.

“In this case, Tanzania got the result in just a few hours,” Dr Swaminathan said.

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He credited the success to a combination of trained health workers, modern laboratory infrastructure and coordinated government leadership.

The CDC says Tanzania has trained thousands of healthcare workers and nearly 1,000 public health specialists who monitor disease trends and help contain outbreaks.

The country has also expanded its ability to test for a wide range of infectious diseases and has contributed research findings on both Covid-19 and Marburg to international scientific literature.

Dr Swaminathan said these improvements place Tanzania in a stronger position to respond to future outbreaks, including Ebola and other emerging diseases.