Ethiopia confirms outbreak of deadly Marburg virus in the South

Saturday 15 November 2025 - 15:30

By: Sahili Aya

Ethiopia confirms outbreak of deadly Marburg virus in the South

Ethiopian health authorities have confirmed the emergence of a Marburg virus outbreak in the southern part of the country, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced on Saturday. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever transmitted mainly by certain species of bats and belonging to the same family as Ebola, carries a mortality rate that can reach nearly 90%.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at least nine infections have been identified in southern Ethiopia. He stated that the World Health Organization is “actively supporting Ethiopia in its efforts to contain the outbreak, treat infected individuals, and prevent any potential cross-border spread,” in a message posted on X.

Africa CDC received an alert concerning a suspected viral hemorrhagic fever on November 12. The confirmation issued on Friday came from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, identifying Jinka, in the Southern Region, as the center of the outbreak. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health said the detected strain is similar to those responsible for past outbreaks in other East African countries.

Preventive measures, coordinated testing efforts, and community awareness campaigns are being carried out in collaboration with national and international health organizations.

The region has experienced recent outbreaks: Tanzania declared an end to its Marburg epidemic in mid-March after 10 deaths since January, while Rwanda announced the end of its first outbreak in December 2024, which caused 15 fatalities.

There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for Marburg. However, supportive care — including oral or intravenous rehydration and treatment of specific symptoms — significantly increases survival rates. Rwanda previously tested an experimental vaccine supplied by the U.S.-based Sabin Vaccine Institute.