ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 24 — The death toll from Ethiopia’s Marburg virus disease outbreak has risen to five, the country’s Ministry of Health has said.
In its latest update issued late Saturday, the ministry said the outbreak’s case fatality rate now stands at 50 percent.
Two additional infections were confirmed after laboratory testing of seven suspected cases, bringing the total number of cases to 10.
As Ethiopia rolls out coordinated response measures to contain the country’s first-ever Marburg virus outbreak, health authorities have conducted laboratory investigations on 53 suspected cases so far.
Ministry data showed that five individuals who have contracted the virus are currently receiving treatment at healthcare facilities.
The Ethiopian government confirmed the country’s first Marburg virus disease outbreak in Jinka town in southern Ethiopia on Nov. 14, following laboratory testing of samples from a cluster of suspected viral hemorrhagic fever cases.
On Thursday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that coordinated efforts are currently underway to avert possible cross-border spread to neighboring countries, mainly South Sudan and Kenya.
The continental public health agency emphasized the urgent need to reinforce regional readiness, enhance information sharing, and strengthen cross-border surveillance to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
The Marburg virus, a highly infectious pathogen with a high fatality rate, causes hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms, including high fever and severe headache, typically appear within a week of exposure. It belongs to the same virus family as Ebola, according to the World Health Organization. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua
