Ethiopia has moved swiftly to contain a Marburg virus outbreak in the country’s south, following an official declaration by health authorities on Friday. The cases were reported in the Omo region, which borders South Sudan.
Health Minister Mekdes Daba said laboratory tests had been conducted on 17 suspected cases, and 129 contacts of confirmed patients have been identified, isolated, and are under close monitoring.
According to the minister, there are currently no active Marburg cases in the country, but the government is maintaining strict preventive measures to avert further spread.
A specialist team from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has been deployed to Ethiopia to support testing, surveillance, and outbreak control activities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the Ethiopian government’s rapid response, saying it reflects a strong “commitment to bringing the outbreak under control quickly.”
Marburg is a highly contagious viral haemorrhagic fever from the same family as Ebola. The virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads between humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons or contaminated surfaces and materials, such as soiled bedding or clothing.
Symptoms often begin suddenly with high fever, severe headache and muscle pain, followed by diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. In severe cases, patients can develop internal and external bleeding. Without timely treatment and supportive care, Marburg can be fatal in up to 88% of cases.
Marburg outbreaks and isolated cases have previously been recorded in several African countries, including Rwanda, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, according to WHO.
Ethiopian authorities have urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, to seek medical care promptly if they experience symptoms, and to follow guidance on hygiene and safe burial practices in affected areas.
Health experts say early detection, strict infection prevention measures, and rapid isolation of cases and contacts will be critical in preventing the outbreak from spreading further within Ethiopia or across its borders.
