Ethiopia has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease (MVD), with nine cases reported in the southern part of the country, according to an announcement from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) .
The outbreak is located in the Jinka area of Ethiopia's Southern region . The Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) are supporting the Ethiopian health authorities, who acted swiftly to confirm the outbreak and have now activated response measures . These efforts include enhanced disease surveillance, contact tracing, isolating infected patients, and launching public awareness campaigns to control the virus's spread . The WHO has deployed a team of responders and supplies to assist in halting the outbreak .
Marburg virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness caused by a virus from the same family as Ebola . The virus is initially transmitted to people from fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and then spreads through human-to-human contact via broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people . Surfaces and materials like bedding or clothing contaminated with these fluids can also spread the virus . After an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, symptoms begin abruptly with high fever, severe headache, and intense malaise . Many patients develop severe hemorrhagic manifestations, such as bleeding from multiple body sites, within a week . The case fatality rate has varied widely in past outbreaks, from 24% to 88%, averaging around 50% . There are no licensed vaccines or antiviral treatments approved for MVD . Patient survival relies on early, intensive supportive care, including rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and treatment of specific symptoms .
This outbreak in Ethiopia is of particular concern to health officials due to its potential for cross-border spread, especially given its proximity to South Sudan, which has a fragile health system . The virus strain detected in Ethiopia shows similarities to those previously identified in East Africa . This region has experience with the disease; neighboring Rwanda successfully contained its first Marburg epidemic in December 2024, and an outbreak in Tanzania was terminated in March of this year . During its 2024 outbreak, Rwanda mounted a rapid research response, including trialing an experimental Marburg vaccine from the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute just ten days after the outbreak was declared . While this vaccine is not yet licensed, its experimental deployment demonstrates growing regional capacity for a swift and science-based response to such health threats.