Sharjah24/WAM: Ethiopian authorities have announced an outbreak of the Marburg virus in the south of the country, in the Omo Region bordering South Sudan, where nine confirmed cases have been recorded to date.
According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, this is the first outbreak of its kind in Ethiopia. Both entities highlighted the severity of the virus, describing it as one of the most dangerous causes of viral haemorrhagic fever with high fatality rates.
The Ethiopian health authorities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have launched urgent response measures that include strengthening surveillance, conducting field investigations and implementing infection prevention efforts. There is currently no treatment or vaccine for the virus.
The Marburg virus is transmitted to humans through fruit bats and spreads among people through direct contact with bodily fluids.
Symptoms include severe headache, abdominal pain and bleeding from the nose and mouth, while treatment is limited to supportive care aimed at improving survival chances.
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