Tanzania announced on Monday that it had identified the mysterious illness that caused the death of three people in the southeast of the country as leptospirosis, a bacterial disease carried by rodents and often benign for humans.
Last week, Tanzanian authorities dispatched a team of doctors and experts to investigate the disease detected in the Lindi region , where 20 cases have been detected.
During a visit to the region, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu indicated on Monday that the disease was caused by a bacterium excreted by wild animals , such as rats or foxes , and transmitted through water or food contaminated by the urine of these animals.
"The good news is that this illness can be prevented and treated," the minister explained, urging the public to remain calm. Most patients have recovered from the illness, whose symptoms include nosebleeds, fever, headaches, and fatigue. Two remain in isolation, she said.
All tested negative for Ebola , Covid-19 and Marburg , a hemorrhagic fever almost as deadly as Ebola, of which two cases were recorded in Ghana on Sunday.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan stated on July 12 that this "strange" disease could have been caused by "increasing interactions" between humans and animals due to environmental degradation .
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease found worldwide. In humans, it is often mild but can cause kidney failure .
