ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia has confirmed the deaths of three people from the Marburg virus, with three additional fatalities under investigation, the health ministry announced Monday.
The outbreak was declared last week in the Omo region, which borders South Sudan. Health Minister Mekdes Daba said tests have been conducted on 17 suspected cases, while 129 contacts have been isolated and are under monitoring.
Although no active cases are currently reported, the government has stepped up preventive measures. Teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been deployed to assist with testing and outbreak control.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Ethiopia’s rapid response, calling it a “commitment to bringing the outbreak under control quickly.”
About the Virus
Marburg is a highly contagious haemorrhagic virus from the same family as Ebola. It originates in fruit bats and spreads through close contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting. Without treatment, the disease can be fatal in up to 88% of cases.
Regional Context
Marburg outbreaks have previously been recorded in Rwanda, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Ghana, according to WHO.