Ethiopia declares its first Marburg virus outbreak over after 42 days with no new cases
Ethiopia says it has ended its first Marburg outbreak following a WHO-standard monitoring period, after reporting 14 confirmed cases and nine deaths beginning in November 2025.
Ethiopia has declared the end of its first-ever Marburg virus outbreak after completing the required 42-day period with no new confirmed cases. The outbreak was first confirmed on Nov. 14, 2025, in the country’s southern region bordering South Sudan, and health authorities said the extended surveillance period—used as a benchmark by the World Health Organization—was completed without further spread being detected.
Officials reported 14 laboratory-confirmed cases during the outbreak, including nine deaths and five recoveries. The WHO also cited five additional deaths classified as possible Marburg cases. Health workers were among those infected: three were reported ill, and two of them died, underscoring how quickly hemorrhagic fevers can endanger frontline staff when infection-prevention measures are strained.
Marburg is a rare but severe viral hemorrhagic fever related to Ebola. The virus is associated with fruit bats and can spread between people through close contact with bodily fluids of an infected person or through contaminated surfaces. Illness can begin with fever and muscle pain and may progress to vomiting, diarrhea, and—in severe cases—fatal bleeding and shock.
The WHO said it supported Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health with technical help across key response areas, including surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, case management, infection prevention and control, coordination, and logistics. Public-health responses to Marburg rely heavily on rapid identification, isolation, contact tracing, safe burials, and strong protective measures for medical staff and caregivers.
There is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment approved for Marburg, which makes containment and supportive care the main tools for saving lives and stopping transmission. Ethiopia’s declaration of the outbreak’s end does not eliminate future risk, but it signals that the immediate chain of transmission has been broken and that emergency measures can shift from active outbreak response to continued vigilance and preparedness.