Three people have been confirmed dead from the Marburg virus in Ethiopia, with another three fatalities suspected to be linked to the highly contagious haemorrhagic disease, the country’s health ministry announced on Monday. The update follows Ethiopia’s confirmation of an outbreak on Friday in a town within the Southern Ethiopia Region, where at least nine cases of the deadly infection were initially identified. Authorities say laboratory results from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute have verified the three confirmed Marburg deaths, while investigations continue into the additional suspected cases.

Jocomms Correspondent reports that the health ministry has placed 129 individuals under isolation and monitoring after they were identified as contacts of the confirmed patients. Officials warn that the virus, which belongs to the same family as Ebola, can spread rapidly through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, as well as through handling infected wild animals, including monkeys. Previous Marburg outbreaks across Africa have recorded fatality rates exceeding 80 percent, often leading to death within a week of symptom onset.

The latest outbreak has triggered heightened alertness among public health institutions as Ethiopia moves quickly to contain transmission and prevent further spread. With the country now reinforcing surveillance and emergency response measures, many are left wondering—can swift action prevent this outbreak from becoming a wider health crisis? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.