New Delhi, Nov 15 — Ethiopia has confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, the WHO announced today. Lab tests found nine confirmed cases in Jinka town, in the country’s South Ethiopia Region.
Marburg virus is a rare, deadly hemorrhagic fever that belongs to the same family as Ebola. It can kill up to 88 % of those infected, and there is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.
How it spreads
The virus gets into people from fruit bats, especially the Rousettus aegypti species. Human cases then usually move from person to person through direct contact with blood, saliva, or other bodily fluids, or with contaminated objects.
What the symptoms look like
Patients often first feel a high fever, severe headache, sore muscles, and fatigue. Within a week, many develop severe bleeding from the nose, gums, or in the stool.
WHO’s response plan
The World Health Organization says Ethiopia’s health ministry is ramping up its emergency response. Actions include:
* Community‑wide screening and isolation of suspected cases
* Contact tracing to keep the virus from spreading further
* Public awareness campaigns to teach people how to protect themselves
* Deployment of an expert crisis team and medical supplies
The WHO also says it will keep working with partners to help the Ethiopian government try to stop the outbreak.
What’s next for people in Ethiopia (and beyond)
There is still no licensed cure or vaccine for Marburg virus, but early supportive care—such as fluids, oxygen, and symptom relief—improves chances of survival, the WHO notes.
The Marburg virus strain found in Ethiopia matches strains seen in previous East African outbreaks in Angola, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. That commonality underscores the need for quick, coordinated action.
For now, the priority is to contain the spread in Jinka and nearby areas while the international community supports Ethiopia’s response.
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