Tanzania's president has declared an outbreak of Marburg, an Ebola-like virus, just a week after the country's health minister denied any cases in the country.

Health authorities have confirmed a case of Marburg in the northwestern Kagera region, President Samia Suluhu Hassan told a news conference on Monday.

"We are confident that we can overcome this challenge again," Samia said, referring to the outbreak in Tanzania two years ago.

On January 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a suspected Marburg outbreak in the country, with Kagera recording nine suspected cases and eight deaths in five days.

But Tanzanian Health Minister Jenista Mhangama said in a statement that all suspected cases tested negative for Marburg virus after samples were analyzed.

At a press conference held jointly with the World Health Organization on Monday, President Samia said her government had stepped up efforts and had dispatched rapid response teams to follow up on all suspected cases.

Marburg virus is highly contagious and symptoms include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death from extreme blood loss.

On average, the virus kills half of those infected, according to the World Health Organization.

Tanzania said that in addition to one confirmed case, authorities had collected samples from 24 other people suspected of being infected with Marburg virus. Those tests came back negative.

Meanwhile, the causes of eight deaths reported by the World Health Organization have not yet been released.

Tanzania experienced its first Marburg outbreak in March 2023 in the Bukoba region. The attacks killed six people and lasted nearly two months.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the global risk of the current outbreak in Tanzania is "very low."

"Even without an approved treatment or vaccine, the outbreak can be contained quickly," he said. "WHO advises against restrictive measures. Now is the time to collaborate."

On Thursday, the African Union's public health agency, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said more than 300 contacts had been identified and were undergoing further testing. Fifty-six of them were health workers, 16 of whom had direct contact with people suspected of being infected with Marburg virus.

The 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) require countries to report public health events and emergencies that may cross borders. Kagera is a transport hub with many people traveling between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

In December, neighboring Rwanda announced that the country's outbreak, which had infected 66 people and killed 15, was over.

Marburg virus is transmitted to humans by fruit bats and then to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

There are no specific treatments or vaccines for the virus, although trials are ongoing.