Ethiopia Confirms First-Ever Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has announced the country’s first confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the South Ethiopia Region. The alert follows laboratory confirmation from samples collected from a cluster of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.

According to the Ethiopia Public Health Institute, genetic sequencing shows that the detected strain matches those previously identified in other East African outbreaks. So far, nine cases have been recorded in Jinka town, where the outbreak is currently concentrated.

National health authorities have intensified emergency measures, including large-scale community screening, case isolation, clinical management, contact tracing and public awareness drives to prevent further spread of the virus. Marburg virus belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus and is known for causing severe, often fatal, illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are assisting Ethiopia by deploying experts experienced in haemorrhagic fever response and supplying essential medical equipment and logistics support.

Marburg virus disease is transmitted to humans through fruit bats and spreads via direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials. Early symptoms range from high fever, intense headache and muscle pain to rapid fatigue, with many patients developing severe bleeding within a week.

While several potential treatments and vaccines are in clinical trials, no licensed medical countermeasures currently exist. However, timely supportive care—such as oral or intravenous rehydration and symptom management—significantly increases chances of survival.

Across Africa, past outbreaks and isolated cases have occurred in Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.