Those visiting Tanzania and its islands, including Zanzibar, can rest assured that it is very much “business as usual” and travellers are in no way at risk from the Marburg virus, says the Minister of Tourism for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Simai M Said.
His assurances extended as far as saying that in the next few weeks Tanzania should be free from the virus.
“As we head towards the ‘Green Season’, the Zanzibar archipelago has yet to record a single case of the Marburg Virus, first detected in March 2023, in the north-west Kagera region of mainland Tanzania.”
He added that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not advised against travelling to Tanzania and Zanzibar, but rather cautioned US citizens on contact with sick individuals.
The outbreak of the disease was announced on March 21, but since then, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in the US, which keeps a watch over global disease events, has reported as recently as April 8, that the disease is still confined to the remote Kagera region, with the rest of Tanzania, including Zanzibar, remaining unaffected.
Furthermore, Said pointed out that that Zanzibar and its islands are located in the Indian Ocean, separated by at least 1 588kms of ocean and land from the Kagera region on the mainland.
“Given that COVID-19 is still fresh in our minds, we understand that people are cautious when learning of new infections. However, such fears are often unfounded, and such is the case now. Tanzania is adhering to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards.”
Findings by Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO, show that as of April 4, the total number of remaining Marburg virus cases in the Kagera region was three, of which only two remain in isolation after one person was discharged on April 5.
The outbreak of the disease was announced on March 21, and since then, the CDC has reported as recently as April 8, that the disease has remained confined to the remote Kagera region.
Zanzibar is set for a bumper tourist season - the country has already welcomed 65 430 international visitors in February, an increase of 39,2% on the 46 995 visitors recorded in February 2022, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
