Ethiopia Confirms First-Ever Marburg Virus Outbreak; 9 Cases Reported in South Region

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has officially confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the highly deadly Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), with nine cases reported in the southern region of the country, health officials announced.

The confirmation follows laboratory testing of samples from a cluster of suspected viral hemorrhagic fever cases in Jinka town in the South Ethiopia Region, an area close to the border with South Sudan.

Key Facts on the Outbreak:
Cases Confirmed: A total of nine cases have been identified and confirmed as MVD.

High Risk: Marburg belongs to the same family of viruses as Ebola and has a case fatality rate that can reach up to 88 percent.

Transmission: The virus is transmitted to humans from Rousettus fruit bats and spreads person-to-person through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials.

Symptoms: Initial symptoms include high fever, severe headache, and muscle aches, often progressing to life-threatening bleeding.

Response and Containment Efforts
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have praised the Ethiopian Ministry of Health for its “rapid and transparent response.”

International support is actively focused on containment, treatment, and preventing cross-border spread, particularly to neighboring South Sudan. Response measures currently being scaled up include:

Isolation and Treatment: Confirmed cases are isolated and receiving intensive supportive medical care, as there is no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment available for MVD.

Contact Tracing: Extensive efforts are underway to trace and monitor all contacts of infected individuals.

Public Awareness: Community-wide health campaigns are being conducted to educate the public on symptoms, prevention, and safe burial practices.