At least nine people have been infected in the south of the country, the head of the WHO has said
Ethiopia has officially confirmed its first outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) after laboratory tests detected the pathogen in the country’s southern region, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said on Saturday.
An initial alert was issued on Wednesday after reports of a suspected viral haemorrhagic fever. The infections have been recorded in the town of Jinka, near the borders with Kenya and South Sudan.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that at least nine cases had been identified.
While Ethiopia’s Health Ministry has not confirmed any deaths, Russia’s public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, citing several media outlets, reported that six people may have died, including two healthcare workers who were treating infected patients.
Local health authorities have activated emergency response mechanisms, deploying field teams, reinforcing infection prevention and control measures, and increasing surveillance in affected areas. Public awareness campaigns are also underway to contain the spread of the virus.
“Africa CDC will continue to work closely with the Government of Ethiopia and partners to ensure a rapid, coordinated and effective response,” the agency said.
Russian authorities have meanwhile announced heightened sanitary checks at border crossings and voiced concern over potential regional spread. Rospotrebnadzor also said a Russian-developed Marburg vaccine has completed preclinical trials and is ready for clinical testing.
First identified in 1967 following outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, the Marburg virus causes a severe and highly infectious haemorrhagic fever similar to Ebola. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and acute abdominal pain, with severe cases leading to internal bleeding and death. Transmission occurs through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
The confirmation of the disease in Ethiopia comes as the African continent continues to grapple with multiple public-health emergencies. Earlier this year, an epidemic of Marburg virus killed ten people in Tanzania in January, according to the WHO.
In addition, Africa is facing its worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, with more than 300,000 confirmed and suspected cases and over 7,000 deaths recorded in 2025.
