Ethiopia is battling its first recorded Marburg virus outbreak, with health officials confirming that at least eight people have died in the south of the country as international partners rush in support.
The Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia was first detected in mid-November in Jinka, in the South Ethiopia Regional State, after a cluster of patients with viral haemorrhagic fever symptoms was reported.
According to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health and international disease-tracking agencies, laboratory testing has now confirmed infections in roughly a dozen people, with numbers updated as new results come in.
A recent situation summary from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes 13 laboratory-confirmed cases and eight deaths, while earlier Ethiopian and World Health Organisation (WHO) figures recorded 12 confirmed cases and eight deaths.
An update carried by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) says three patients have recovered and one remains in treatment. It adds that at least 73 suspected cases have been tested and 349 contacts are under active follow-up in affected districts.
What health authorities know about the outbreak so far
WHO’s initial outbreak notice explains that the first suspected cases were reported in Jinka on 12 November 2025 and confirmed as Marburg virus disease two days later, following testing at Ethiopia’s National Reference Laboratory.
As of 20 November, investigators had identified more than 200 contacts linked to early cases, most of them in the South Ethiopia Region.
Genetic analysis shared by Africa CDC indicates that the virus strain detected in Ethiopia is closely related to Marburg viruses seen in previous East African outbreaks, including recent clusters in countries such as Rwanda and Tanzania.
For Ethiopia, this is the first time the country has faced Marburg, a disease that can overwhelm local health systems because of its high fatality rate and the need for strict infection-prevention measures.
How Marburg virus spreads and what it does
Marburg virus disease is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever from the same family as Ebola.
Both WHO and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) describe it as a zoonotic infection that usually begins with spillover from fruit bats, particularly Rousettus bats, and can then spread from person to person through direct contact with blood, body fluids or contaminated materials such as bedding and clothing.
The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days. Early symptoms typically include sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In severe cases, patients can develop bleeding from multiple sites between the fifth and eighth day after symptom onset, though not all cases show visible haemorrhage.
Across 19 documented outbreaks worldwide, the case-fatality rate has ranged from 24% to 88%, depending on the virus strain and quality of care. There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment; care focuses on aggressive supportive therapy, including fluid replacement, monitoring of electrolytes and treatment of secondary infections.
International support and the US response
Global health agencies have moved quickly to back Ethiopia’s response. WHO says it is providing testing supplies, personal protective equipment and technical experts to help local teams with surveillance, infection control and community engagement in affected areas.
The United States has also publicly signalled that it is stepping up support. At a recent handover of medical countermeasures in Ethiopia, US Ambassador Ervin Massinga said:
“Since the beginning of the Marburg outbreak, the United States has been a stalwart friend and partner to Ethiopia, and today is no different. Today we are receiving equipment and tools to put into the hands of Ethiopia, to marry up with Ethiopian leadership to move ahead in the fight against Marburg.”
These tools, which have been used in other Marburg outbreaks, are aimed at improving diagnosis and protecting frontline health workers.
Regional lessons from other Marburg outbreaks
Experts say the region has recent experience to draw on. In 2024, Rwanda reported its first Marburg virus disease outbreak, eventually confirming more than 60 cases and 15 deaths, with most infections occurring among healthcare workers in Kigali before the outbreak was brought under control.
Public-health measures there included rapid isolation of suspected cases, intensive contact tracing, strict infection-prevention protocols in hospitals and community awareness campaigns.
Similar strategies are now being deployed in Ethiopia. Africa CDC notes that authorities have isolated and monitored contacts in the South Ethiopia Region and are working to identify the exact animal source of the spillover, which is suspected to involve fruit bats in the area.
Risk for travellers and neighbouring countries
So far, WHO assesses the public-health risk of the Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia as very high at national level, high at regional level and low at global level, and has not recommended travel or trade restrictions.
Neighbouring countries have been advised to heighten surveillance for viral haemorrhagic fevers and to be alert for travellers presenting with sudden fever and compatible symptoms after visiting affected districts.
For people in Ethiopia and the wider region, health authorities stress basic precautions: avoiding caves or mines inhabited by bats where possible, reducing direct contact with bodily fluids of sick people, and following guidance from local health officials if there are suspected cases nearby.
Members of the public with medical concerns are urged to seek advice from qualified healthcare providers rather than self-diagnosing.
As case investigations continue, officials say the priority is to break chains of transmission quickly so that the Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia can be contained before it spreads beyond the current cluster in the south of the country.
