Marburg virus outbreak confirmed in southern Ethiopia

Ethiopia has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus in the south of the country, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Saturday.

The Marburg virus is one of the deadliest known pathogens. Like Ebola, it causes severe bleeding, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and has a 21-day incubation period.

Also like Ebola, it is transmitted via contact with bodily fluids and has a fatality rate of between 25 and 80 percent.

The head of the World Health Organization, Ethiopia's Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed on Friday that at least nine cases had been detected in southern Ethiopia, two days after Africa CDC was alerted to a suspected haemorrhagic virus in the region.

"Marburg virus disease (MVD) has been confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory (in Ethiopia)," Africa CDC said.

"Further epidemiological investigations and laboratory analyses are underway and the virus strain detected shows similarities to those previously identified in East Africa."

It said Ethiopian health authorities had acted swiftly to confirm and contain the outbreak in the Jinka area.

It said it would work with Ethiopia to ensure an effective response and to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to other parts of east Africa.

An epidemic of Marburg virus killed 10 people in Tanzania in January before being terminated in March.

Rwanda said in December 2024 it had managed to stamp out its first known Marburg epidemic, which caused 15 deaths.

There is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Marburg virus, but oral or intravenous rehydration and treatment of specific symptoms increases patients' chances of survival.

Last year, Rwanda trialled an experimental vaccine from the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute.