Virus causing death by nosebleeds... Unidentified 'Nosebleed Disease' outbreak in Tanzania

3 Deaths Among 13 Infected
Analysis Suggests Similarity to Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

Tanzania stock photo [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] An unidentified disease causing nosebleeds and even death has emerged in Tanzania, Africa, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

According to foreign media including ABC News on the 15th (local time), Tanzania's Chief Medical Officer Aipelo Sichalwe confirmed an unknown disease exhibiting symptoms such as nosebleeds, fever, and headaches in the southeastern Lindi region. So far, 13 patients have been reported to authorities, with 3 deaths among them.

The Tanzanian Ministry of Health has initiated an investigation. An expert team has been dispatched to Lindi to investigate the cause and situation of the outbreak and to continue contact tracing. Measures have been taken to prevent further spread, including identifying and isolating individuals with similar symptoms.

Patients reported to Tanzanian health authorities have tested negative for Ebola, Marburg virus, and COVID-19.

Ebola and Marburg viruses are among four types of viruses (Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever) registered as 'priority pathogens' by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed concern, suggesting that environmental destruction increasing interactions between humans and wildlife may have led to the emergence of such diseases.

Tanzania's Chief Medical Officer Aipelo Sichalwe stated, "An expert team has been formed and continues to investigate the unidentified disease."

Some analysts believe this disease resembles viral hemorrhagic fever. Viral hemorrhagic fever is caused by various types of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses primarily transmitted from animals to humans. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ebola and Marburg are representative examples.

On the same day, a WHO official responsible for Africa explained, "Diseases transmitted from animals to humans have occurred over centuries, but limited transportation infrastructure in the past relatively restricted large-scale infections and deaths on the African continent. However, with the development of transportation infrastructure, the threat of animal-borne pathogens spreading to urban areas has increased."

WHO announced that the number of zoonotic disease outbreaks?diseases originating in animals and transmitted to humans?has increased by 63% compared to ten years ago. COVID-19 is also included among zoonotic diseases. Recent rapidly spreading diseases such as monkeypox also fall into this category.

WHO particularly noted that many zoonotic disease outbreaks occurred in Africa between 2019 and 2020. Although monkeypox was originally an African endemic disease, infection cases have recently been reported worldwide.

Earlier, in Ghana, Africa, two people died last week after contracting the Marburg virus. This is the second case in the West African region since a patient was reported in Guinea last August. The Marburg virus has a fatality rate of up to 88% and currently has no known vaccine or treatment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.