Marburg virus outbreak in Ethiopia spreads from Jinka (southern Omo region, South Ethiopia Regional State) to Hawassa, Sidama Region, located over 300 km from Jinka.
Case update:
- 12 confirmed cases including 7 confirmed deaths.
- Further 78 suspected cases are under investigation.
Avoid travel to the affected regions, unless necessary. WHO assesses the public health risk posed by the outbreak as high at the national level, moderate at the regional level and low at the global level.
Preventive measures:
- Wash your hands regularly and carefully using soap and water (or alcohol gel if soap is unavailable).
- Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
- Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
- Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the MVD-affected areas for nonurgent medical care or non-medical reasons.
- Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial.
- Avoid handling, cooking, or eating bush/wild meat (meat of wild/feral mammals killed for food).
- Wash and peel fruit and vegetables before consumption.
- Avoid visiting mines or bat caves and contact with all wild animals, alive or dead, particularly bats.
- If you decide to visit mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing, including masks and eye protection.
- Practice safer sex.
During travel and upon return:
- Watch your health for symptoms of Marburg while in the outbreak area and for 21 days after leaving the outbreak area (no quarantine is required if there are no symptoms).
In case of symptoms:
If you develop fever and nonspecific symptoms such as chills, headache, muscle pain or abdominal pain:
- You should separate yourself from others (isolate) immediately and
- Directly contact the in-country hotline by phone or contact a tropical institute or university hospital infectious disease unit.
- Alert the healthcare providers of your recent travel to an area with a Marburg outbreak.
For clinicians:
- Consider Marburg as a possible diagnosis in patients with epidemiologic risks factors, especially in people with possible exposure of Marburg cases in Ethiopia.
- Further information on evaluation and diagnosis: see LINK and ECDC risk assessment.