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Ethiopia Confirms First Marburg Outbreak With Nine Cases in Southern Omo Region

WHO support accelerates testing, contact tracing, infection control to contain cross-border risk.

Overview

  • Ethiopian authorities identified nine Marburg virus cases in the South Ethiopia/Omo region bordering South Sudan, marking the country’s first recorded outbreak.
  • Health workers are among those infected, underscoring the urgency of strict infection-prevention measures in clinical settings.
  • WHO has deployed 11 technical officers, delivered PPE and a rapidly deployable isolation tent, and released $300,000 from its emergency fund.
  • WHO offices in Ethiopia and South Sudan are coordinating with Africa CDC to prevent cross-border spread as surveillance and laboratory work continue.
  • Marburg is linked to fruit bats, spreads through contact with bodily fluids, and currently has no authorized vaccine or specific treatment.