Tanzania: 2025 Mpox

WEEKLY BULLETIN ON OUTBREAKS
AND OTHER EMERGENCIES

Week 11: 10 - 16 March 2025
Data as reported by: 17:00; 16 March 2025
...
United Republic of Tanzania

Mpox

22 Cases
0 Deaths
0.0% CFR

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The United Republic of Tanzania is the latest to report
an outbreak of mpox, joining the growing number of
countries reporting mpox outbreaks in the WHO African
Region. On 10 March 2025, the Ministry of Health of
Tanzania notified WHO of two cases of mpox following
laboratory confirmation.

The first case is a 39-year-old male truck driver from
Tabata ward in Ilala Municipal Council, Dar es Salaam,
with symptom onset on 25 February 2025. He presented
to a healthcare facility in Dar es Salaam on 7 March
2025, with signs and symptoms of fever, skin rashes,
muscle pain, and general body weakness. Upon clinical
suspicion of mpox, attending clinicians collected skin
swabs and sent to the National Laboratory for testing.
The results, received on 9 March 2025, confirmed the
presence of the mpox virus (MPXV). The patient had
reportedly travelled to a neighbouring country with an
active mpox outbreak on 15 February 2025, where he
may have been likely exposed to the disease.

The second case is a 38-year-old businessman from
Kunduchi Ward in Kinondoni Municipal Council, Dar
es Salaam, with symptom onset on 2 March 2025. He
also presented to the same healthcare facility as the
first case on 7 March 2025, with similar symptoms. Skin
swabs were collected and sent for testing, with results
confirming mpox on 9 March 2025.

From 10 to 12 March 2025, a total of 22 confirmed cases
have been reported form 10 regions across the country.
Most confirmed cases were reported from Dar es Salaam
(n=6) and Simiyu (n=5) regions, which together accounts
for 50% of the total cases reported. Other regions
reporting confirmed cases are Dodoma (n=2), Mbeya
(n=2), Pwani (n=2), Mwanza (n=1), Morogoro (n=1),
Tabora (n=1), Ruvuma (n=1) and Manyara (n=1). A total
of 122 contacts have been identified for monitoring and
follow-up as of 12 March 2025.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS

A National Task Force has been activated under the
leadership of the Ministry of Health of Tanzania to
coordinate the response to the mpox outbreak, with
technical and operational support from WHO and health
partners. Coordination meetings are being held routinely,
involving all stakeholders and partners. A National
response plan is being developed to guide response
strategies and resource mobilization efforts.

The standard case definition for mpox and other
surveillance tools have been disseminated to all
healthcare facilities to facilitate case detection. Enhanced
surveillance is ongoing, with an active search for cases
in communities and healthcare facilities. Contact tracing
activities are ongoing. A total of 122 contacts have been
listed and are under monitoring.

A total of 55 suspected cases have been reported and
sampled from 10 - 12 March 2025. Of these, 22 have
tested positive for the mpox virus.

A case management job aid has been developed and
disseminated to healthcare facilities to guide the clinical
management of mpox cases. All confirmed cases have
been isolated and admitted for clinical care.

Community health workers and volunteers are being used
to reach households with messaging on mpox prevention
and healthcare seeking. The National hotline, Afya Call
Centre, continues to track and respond to rumours
and misinformation from the communities, providing
appropriate information. Mass media education is also
being provided through the Tanzania Broadcasting
Corporation.

Decontamination of the households of confirmed cases
is being routinely performed, and infection prevention
and control practices are being reinforced in healthcare
facilities.

SITUATION INTERPRETATION

The new mpox outbreak reported from Tanzania adds
to the growing burden of such outbreaks across the
African Region. This comes on the heels of a just ended
Marburg virus disease outbreak, challenging
existing resources for emergency response. The delay
between the onset of symptoms and the detection of
the first two cases raises concerns about potential
transmission to close contacts. Additionally, it remains
unclear whether the other 20 confirmed cases across
the country are linked to the initial two, or are imported
cases, or represent local transmission. With several
neighbouring countries also battling active mpox
outbreaks, understanding the transmission dynamics
is crucial for a targeted response. Tanzania must
prioritize strengthening cross-border collaboration,
enhancing surveillance through active case search and
contact tracing, and implementing comprehensive risk
communication and community engagement efforts to
counter misinformation and raise awareness among the
general population and high-risk groups.

Weekly bulletins on outbreaks and other emergencies | WHO | Regional Office for Africa

https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/disease-outbreaks/outbreaks-and-other-emergencies-updates

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