Africa CDC Probes Mysterious Disease Outbreak in Burundi, Rules Out Major Viral Fevers
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) has launched an investigation into an unknown disease outbreak in Burundi, deploying experts to affected communities to determine its cause.
According to the agency, early laboratory results have ruled out major viral haemorrhagic fevers, easing initial concerns about some of the most severe infectious diseases.
Dr. Tolbert Nyenswah, Director for Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response at Africa CDC, disclosed this during the agency’s weekly high-level briefing for epidemiological week 16 on Thursday.
He said multidisciplinary teams comprising surveillance officers, laboratory scientists, and public health experts were sent to remote mountainous areas of Burundi to assess the situation, gather samples, and support local health authorities in ongoing investigations.
The teams are working alongside national health officials and international partners to conduct field assessments and laboratory testing to identify the cause of the outbreak.
Although early symptoms initially raised fears of viral haemorrhagic fevers, confirmatory tests carried out in national and regional reference laboratories returned negative results for suspected pathogens.
Nyenswah noted that further testing is ongoing across Africa CDC’s laboratory network to ensure a comprehensive analysis and to rule out uncommon or emerging infectious agents.
He stressed that the response reflects Africa CDC’s commitment to early detection, rapid verification, and containment of disease outbreaks at community level, as part of broader efforts to strengthen health systems across the continent.
He also emphasised the importance of cross-border collaboration and laboratory networking, describing regional cooperation as critical in managing complex and evolving public health threats.
According to him, surveillance systems are being reinforced, while member states continue to receive support to improve preparedness and response capacity, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
The agency said further updates will be provided as investigations continue in collaboration with Burundi’s Ministry of Health.
