Home / Health / Ethiopia Confirms First-Ever Marburg Virus Outbreak, WHO Rushes to Assist
Ethiopia Confirms First-Ever Marburg Virus Outbreak, WHO Rushes to Assist
14 Nov
Summary
- Ethiopia reports 9 Marburg virus cases in Omo region
- WHO dispatches technical team to support testing and response
- Marburg virus is highly contagious with up to 88% fatality rate
On November 14, 2025, Ethiopia announced its first-ever outbreak of the Marburg virus, a deadly hemorrhagic fever akin to Ebola. The East African nation reported 9 confirmed cases in the Omo region, which borders South Sudan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has responded rapidly to the situation, dispatching a technical team to support Ethiopia's testing and outbreak response efforts. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Ethiopia's swift action, stating it demonstrated a "commitment to bringing the outbreak under control quickly."
The WHO is also providing essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for health workers and infection-prevention materials, as well as a rapidly deployable isolation tent to bolster clinical care and management capacity. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya expressed concern over the outbreak's proximity to South Sudan, noting the country's "fragile health system."
The Marburg virus, first recognized in 1967, originates in fruit bats and spreads through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces. It is highly contagious and can cause hemorrhagic fever with a fatality ratio of up to 88 percent. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment available.
