#outbreak-response

#outbreak-response

Marburg virus disease (MVD) has been confirmed by the National Reference Laboratory (in Ethiopia), Africa CDC said on Saturday. Further epidemiological investigations and laboratory analyses are under way and the virus strain detected shows similarities to those previously identified in east Africa. It said Ethiopian health authorities had acted swiftly to confirm and contain the outbreak in the Jinka area.

Over the past three years, cases have more than doubled, with over 230,000 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths so far this year on the continent. Those cases are spread across 23 countries, up from 15 affected countries in 2022, according to Africa CDC. It's a disease that is easily treatable yet deadly. It can kill someone in a matter of hours if good medical care is not provided promptly.