Mysterious Ebola-Like Disease Kills 3 In Tanzania, Probe Launched

Three people have died from a mysterious Ebola-like disease in Africa's Tanzania, prompting the government to dispatch a team of doctors to investigate it. Symptoms of the illness include fever, headaches, fatigue and nosebleeds, the government's chief medical officer Aifello Sichalwe said in a statement on Wednesday. So far, 13 cases have been reported in the southeastern region of Lindi, including the three people who died. Tanzania has never before recorded a case of Ebola or Marburg, two deadly viruses known to cause bleeding.

Authorities in the East African country have called the outbreak "strange".

"The government formed a team of professionals who are still investigating this unknown disease," Mr Sichalwe said, asking people in the area to remain calm.

One of the patients had fully recovered while the others were being isolated, he added. None of the 13 patients tested positive for Ebola or Marburg and their Covid test results also came negative.

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan said that the "strange" disease reported in Lindi may have been caused by "growing interaction" between humans and wild animals as a result of environmental degradation.

This comes days after Ghana reported two suspected cases of the Marburg virus, which belongs to the same family as Ebola and has symptoms including high fever and internal and external bleeding.

Another 34 people who had contact with the cases have been identified and are currently in quarantine, Ghana Health Service said in a statement.

The World Health Organisation said if confirmed it would be the first case of Marburg in Ghana.

Both Marburg and Ebola, known to spread between humans, can be carried by fruit bats. No treatment or vaccine exists for Marburg, which is somewhat less deadly than Ebola, with symptoms including high fever and internal and external bleeding.