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Situation at a glance
On 12 November 2025, WHO noted a press release from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), announcing suspected viral hemorrhagic viral fever (VHF) in Jinka town, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia.
On 14 November 2025, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia confirmed that the cases previously reported as suspected VHF were Marburg virus disease (MVD).
Molecular testing conducted by the National Reference Laboratory at EPHI identified Marburg virus (MARV) in patient samples.
As of 20 November 2025, 33 laboratory tests have been conducted, of which six confirmed cases, including three deaths, have been reported.
Of the six confirmed cases, three are currently alive and on treatment.
In addition to the lab-confirmed cases, a further three epidemiologically linked cases could not be tested; all three are deceased and recorded as probable cases.
A total of 206 contacts have been identified, and contacts are under active follow-up.
The number of contacts will continue to change as the response evolves.
The source of the infection has not yet been identified.
This marks the first confirmed outbreak of MVD in the country.
Initial investigation by the one health team in Ethiopia show the presence of the natural host of the virus, fruit bats, in the area.
MVD is a severe, often fatal illness, transmitted from bats to humans, and clinically similar to Ebola virus diseases.
The disease has a case fatality ratio of up to 88%, but it can be much lower with good and early patient care.
Under the leadership of the MoH, WHO is working alongside the Ethiopian response teams to enhance coordination, surveillance (including outbreak investigation, contact tracing, and alert management), case management, infection prevention and control measures, laboratory capacity, risk communication and community engagement.
WHO assesses the public health risk posed by the outbreak as high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level.
Ethiopia is facing concurrent emergencies and multiple disease outbreaks, including of cholera, measles, dengue, which results in stretched health capacity.
Description of the situation
As of 20 November 2025, 33 laboratory tests have been conducted, of which six confirmed cases, including three deaths, have been reported. Of the six confirmed cases, three are currently alive and on treatment. In addition to the lab-confirmed cases, a further three epidemiologically linked cases could not be tested; all three are deceased and recorded as probable cases. A total of 206 contacts have been identified, and contacts are under active follow-up. The number of contacts will continue to change as the response evolves.
Clinically, patients have presented with high-grade fever, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, and watery or bloody diarrhoea. Haemorrhagic manifestations, including nose bleeding and vomiting blood were observed in five cases, consistent with multi-organ failure.
As this is the first time Ethiopia is reporting MVD, WHO recommends that samples be shared with a reference laboratory for inter-laboratory comparison.
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WHO risk assessment
This is the first confirmed MVD outbreak in Ethiopia. The public health risk posed by the MVD outbreak is assessed as high at the national level due to several concerning factors:
-- The outbreak involves six laboratory-confirmed cases; there have been a total of six deaths and there are three confirmed cases under treatment.
-- All deaths involved unsupervised burials, posing a risk of potential additional community transmission.
-- The presence of healthcare workers among the confirmed cases suggests potential occupational exposure risks within health facilities.
-- Although investigations are ongoing, information on the source of the outbreak, geographical extent and epidemiology is limited.
-- Although no international transmission has been confirmed to date, the potential risk for spread remains. The affected area, Jinka, while distant from Ethiopia’s capital or major international airports, is connected by road transportation networks, including to neighbouring Kenya and South Sudan. Therefore, the public health risk posed by this event is assessed as moderate at the regional level. It is considered low at the global level.
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