Ethiopia declares end of first Marburg outbreak after 42 days with no new cases
Ethiopia has declared the end of its first Marburg virus outbreak after completing the required 42-day period without new confirmed infections. The outbreak began in November 2025 in the south near the South Sudan border and resulted in confirmed deaths and recoveries, with the WHO providing technical support for surveillance, diagnosis and infection control. Health officials reiterated that Marburg remains a severe hemorrhagic fever with no licensed vaccine or treatment.
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Outbreak declared over after mandatory waiting period
Ethiopia declared the end of its first Marburg virus outbreak on Monday, January 26, 2026, after completing the required 42-day period with no new confirmed cases, the Associated Press reported. The declaration marks a key milestone for Ethiopian health authorities and for regional disease surveillance systems that monitor cross-border risks.
The outbreak began on November 14, 2025, in a southern area bordering South Sudan. Officials confirmed 14 cases, including nine deaths and five recoveries. The World Health Organization also cited additional deaths classified as possible Marburg cases, reflecting the difficulties of detection and confirmation in fast-moving outbreaks.
Health workers affected, WHO support deployed
Among those infected were health workers, underscoring the risks posed to frontline staff when hemorrhagic fevers emerge. The WHO said it supported Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health with technical assistance across surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, clinical case management, infection prevention and control, coordination and logistics.
Containing an outbreak of this kind often depends on rapid case identification, isolation, contact tracing, safe clinical care and strong community engagement. The end-of-outbreak declaration indicates that transmission chains were successfully interrupted long enough to meet international criteria.
What Marburg is and why vigilance remains important
Marburg virus disease is a severe illness originating in fruit bats and spreading between people through close contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces. Symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhea, and in some cases patients die from extreme blood loss.
There is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment, meaning response efforts rely on public health measures and supportive medical care. Even after an outbreak ends, health agencies typically maintain heightened readiness, given the possibility of flare-ups, undetected cases, or new spillover events in nearby regions.