Ethiopia has officially declared it is free of first-ever Marburg outbreak following the completion of enhanced surveillance and the mandatory follow-up period,
The declaration comes after completion of 42 days of the Post Marburg Surveillance countdown period which is a prerequisite of the World Health Organization (WHO) requiring any affected country to monitor the situation of any Viral Hemorrhagic Fever before finally declaring an end to the outbreak.
Speaking at a national public health emergency preparedness and response forum on Monday, minister of health Mekdes Daba attributed the triumph to the country’s resilient and effective public health emergency management system.
“The victory is the fruit of rigorous monitoring and containment strategies that effectively stifled the transmission of the virus,” daba said.
She said no new case has been detected within the last 42 days, a period representing two full incubation cycles, thereby confirming the total containment of the outbreak.
Daba said that the seamless coordination between local communities, dedicated healthcare professionals, and international partners has made possible the swift eradication of the virus.
The outbreak was first confirmed on 14 November 2025 in the South Ethiopia Region. A total of 14 confirmed cases were reported during the outbreak, including nine deaths and five recoveries.
There were five deaths that were probable cases. The outbreak affected four districts—Jinka, Malle, and Arba Minch in the South Ethiopia Region and Hawassa in the Sidama Region—triggering the rapid activation and scale-up of response measures.
These included active case detection, isolation and supportive care, comprehensive contact tracing, strengthened infection prevention and control in health facilities and engagement with affected communities.
In total, 857 contacts were identified and monitored for 21 days. Three health workers were infected during the outbreak; two died and one recovered, highlighting both the severity of Marburg virus disease and the critical importance of infection prevention and control measures.
MG/abj/APA