Ethiopia Confirms Three Marburg Deaths as Outbreak Triggers Regional Alert

Ethiopia confirms three deaths from Marburg as neighbouring states issue warnings

Key update: Ethiopia has confirmed three deaths from the Marburg virus in the southern Omo region and is investigating three additional suspected fatalities, health authorities said. The government declared the outbreak this week after cases were detected in the Jinka area near the South Sudan border.

Health Minister Mekdes Daba announced the confirmed deaths on Monday. Laboratory testing validated the three fatalities linked to the Ebola-like virus, while three further deaths showing compatible symptoms remain under investigation, according to a statement carried by state broadcaster EBC.

Officials say at least nine infections were identified after testing 17 people alerted by suspected haemorrhagic illness reports. Authorities have isolated and are monitoring 129 contacts of confirmed patients and report there are currently no active symptomatic cases being treated in health facilities.

The government has activated emergency response centres at national and local levels and deployed rapid response teams to affected areas. Ethiopia has also established national laboratory testing capacity for Marburg at its public health institute, allowing domestic diagnostics without relying solely on external laboratories.

International teams from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have arrived to support containment and response operations. The health ministry has launched a public-awareness campaign, distributing Amharic infographics about symptoms and prevention and setting up a hotline for reporting suspected cases.

What to know about Marburg

Marburg virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. Early symptoms include high fever, severe headache and muscle pain, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea; severe cases can involve bleeding from the nose, gums and internal organs. On average the virus kills roughly half of those infected, though mortality has reached as high as 88% in previous outbreaks, according to WHO data.

The UN health agency warns that health workers are particularly vulnerable if strict infection‑control measures are not followed during patient care.

Regional context and concerns

This outbreak comes amid a string of haemorrhagic fever events in East Africa: Tanzania recorded a Marburg outbreak that killed 10 people earlier this year, and Rwanda concluded its first recorded Marburg outbreak last December with 15 deaths and deployed an experimental vaccine during its response. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned of the risk of cross-border spillover into South Sudan, citing that country’s fragile health infrastructure as a key vulnerability.

Public guidance: Anyone experiencing high fever, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding should seek immediate medical assessment and testing at health facilities and avoid contact with others until assessed.