Update: Tanzanian Governmental Authorities Claim The Eight Deaths -- Across Two Districts -- Were NOT... Marburg(?).

I do understand. These countries cannot economically withstand a perhaps six month "no travel" order. The mining and tourism industries will suffer. . . and suffer immensely. And no such order has issued from any other nation, thus far.

But it seems a less than credible proposition -- that these local public health ministers would refute lab tests independently conducted by the WHO. What interest might WHO have in lying here? None. So (while we will report it, for a complete record) do take this with a truckload of salt. The latest, from the Beeb:

. . .Tanzania has dismissed a World Health Organisation (WHO) report of a suspected new outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the north-west of the country. On Tuesday, the global health agency said a total of nine suspected cases were reported over the last five days in the Kagera region, including eight deaths.

But in a statement, Tanzania's Health Minister Jenista Mhagama said after samples were analysed, all suspected cases were found negative for Marburg virus. She said that the country had strengthened its surveillance systems and disease monitoring. . . .

Again, I do well-understand the fear factor, and the crippling economic impact a multi-district outbreak of lethal Marburg will have on the already struggling nation. But -- as ever -- for the sake of future traveling parties, and to avoid perhaps thousands more hosts / patients / fatalities (and the safety of that nation's people), we must tell the truth. Onward.

नमस्ते