Ethiopia Confirms First Marburg Outbreak with 9 Cases

Ethiopia has confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare and highly lethal hemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola, with nine cases detected in the southern Omo region near the border with South Sudan. The World Health Organization announced the development on Friday, following laboratory tests on samples from suspected viral hemorrhagic fever cases in Jinka town.

Health officials reported the cases after investigating a cluster of illnesses in the area. The Ethiopia Public Health Institute's genetic analysis identified a strain similar to those in previous East African outbreaks. Ethiopian authorities declared the outbreak on Friday and have since isolated the confirmed patients, launched communitywide screenings, and initiated contact tracing to prevent further spread. The Ministry of Health stated that infected individuals are receiving treatment and urged the public not to panic but to seek medical care for symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe bleeding.

Marburg virus, part of the Filoviridae family that includes Ebola, originates in fruit bats and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected...