At least six people have been confirmed dead due to a Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia, according to a state-run news agency.
Ethiopian authorities declared the Marburg outbreak on Friday, 14 November, which later culminated in at least three deaths three days later. The Ethiopian press stated that out of the 11 people in whom the virus was detected, six had died, and five are receiving medical treatment.
The Ethiopian health ministry has said 349 people who were suspected of having contact with infected individuals were isolated, and 119 of them have been released after completing their surveillance.
The outbreak was reported in the Omo region, an area neighbouring South Sudan. No other African country has reported cases of Marburg virus in recent weeks.
The Marburg virus originates in fruit bats and spreads between people through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or with surfaces, such as contaminated bedsheets.
Symptoms include fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and in some cases death from extreme blood loss. There is no authorized vaccine or treatment for Marburg.
About the Marburg Virus
Marburg can refer to the Marburg virus disease (MVD), a rare and severe hemorrhagic fever, or the city of Marburg, Germany, where the virus was first identified in 1967. MVD is caused by the Marburg virus and has a high case fatality rate, with symptoms like sudden onset fever, muscle aches, and bleeding. The virus is naturally found in African fruit bats and can spread to people and then between people.
Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV) of the species Orthomarburgvirus marburgense are the causative agents of Marburg virus disease (MVD). The disease has a case fatality ratio of up to 88%, but it can be much lower with good and early patient care.
Both viruses are part of the Filoviridae family (filovirus) to which Orthoebolavirus genus belongs. Though caused by different viruses, Ebola and Marburg diseases are clinically similar. Both diseases are rare but have the capacity to cause outbreaks with high fatality rates.
MVD was initially detected in 1967 after two simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany, and in Belgrade, Serbia. These outbreaks were associated with laboratory work using African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) imported from Uganda. Subsequently, outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, South Africa (in a person with recent travel history to Zimbabwe), Tanzania and Uganda. In 2008, two independent cases were reported in travellers who had visited a cave inhabited by Rousettus aegyptiacus bat colonies in Uganda. In September 2024, Rwanda reported the country’s first outbreak and Tanzania declared another outbreak in January 2025.
Marburg virus disease (MVD)
Cause: The Marburg virus, part of the same family as the one that causes Ebola.
Symptoms: Sudden onset of symptoms including fever, severe headache, muscle aches, and malaise, followed by diarrhea, stomach pain, and in severe cases, unexplained bleeding and organ failure.
Transmission: From animals (like fruit bats) to people, and then from person to person through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, and contaminated objects.
Fatality: The case fatality rate has ranged from 24% to 88%.
Treatment: There is no specific antiviral treatment or approved vaccine for MVD, though supportive care can improve survival.
Additional Source: Africa News , World Health Organisation WHO
