Ethiopia confirms deadly Marburg virus outbreak in southern region. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that at least nine cases of Marburg virus disease have been detected in southern Ethiopia, according to the World Health Organization's top official.
The Marburg virus is a highly deadly pathogen known to cause severe bleeding, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and has an incubation period of up to 21 days. Transmission occurs through contact with infected body fluids, and the fatality rate ranges from 25% to 80%.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, swift action was taken by Ethiopian health authorities to confirm and contain the outbreak in the Jinka area.
Africa CDC noted that further investigations and laboratory analyses are underway, with a virus strain detected showing similarities to previously identified strains in east Africa. The organisation is working closely with Ethiopia to ensure an effective response and reduce the risk of the virus spreading elsewhere.
The recent outbreak is reminiscent of Tanzania's Marburg virus epidemic in January, which killed 10 people before being terminated in March. Rwanda also managed to stamp out its first known Marburg epidemic in December last year, although it caused 15 deaths.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Marburg virus, but treatment options such as oral rehydration and symptom management can increase patients' chances of survival.
The Marburg virus is a highly deadly pathogen known to cause severe bleeding, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and has an incubation period of up to 21 days. Transmission occurs through contact with infected body fluids, and the fatality rate ranges from 25% to 80%.
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, swift action was taken by Ethiopian health authorities to confirm and contain the outbreak in the Jinka area.
Africa CDC noted that further investigations and laboratory analyses are underway, with a virus strain detected showing similarities to previously identified strains in east Africa. The organisation is working closely with Ethiopia to ensure an effective response and reduce the risk of the virus spreading elsewhere.
The recent outbreak is reminiscent of Tanzania's Marburg virus epidemic in January, which killed 10 people before being terminated in March. Rwanda also managed to stamp out its first known Marburg epidemic in December last year, although it caused 15 deaths.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Marburg virus, but treatment options such as oral rehydration and symptom management can increase patients' chances of survival.
my heart goes out to ethiopia right now 
the marburg virus is so scary 
it's like a nightmare come true 
i mean 25-80% fatality rate? that's just crazy 
and no approved vaccine or treatment? 
sending positive vibes to them 
and hoping the african cdc and ethiopian health authorities do everything they can to stop this outbreak 
it's like a big team effort 
working together to keep everyone safe 
so i'm hoping ethiopia can too 
sending lots of love and support 
to the people there 
This outbreak in Ethiopia is super worrying, especially since we're still dealing with COVID-19 and other pandemics... What's up with these viruses? 
The fact that 9 people have already been infected is crazy! And the incubation period of up to 21 days means we're talking about a lot of transmission potential before symptoms even show up. We need more research on vaccines and treatments ASAP 
this marberg virus thingy sounds super sketchy, i mean idk how a virus with an incubation period of up to 21 days just goes around like that... people gotta be super careful now 
what's the deal with no approved vaccine or treatment tho? it's like we're just winging it on this one 
and yeah, tanzania and rwanda had their own outbreaks last year too 
and the fact that there's no approved vaccine or treatment option makes me super worried. we need some serious medical breakthroughs stat 
. We need to be worried 'cause this thing can kill like crazy 
, especially if you don't get treatment on time. No approved vaccine yet but oral rehydration can help keep people alive 
.
. CDC's working with them hard to contain it, but we need more info ASAP 
. Fingers crossed for Ethiopia 
... think about all the ppl working hard to contain this thing in ethiopia 
... and we gotta give credit to the africa cdc for being super proactive 
... they're doing their thang to find out more about this virus 
... and let's not forget, treatment options like oral rehydration can make a big difference 
I mean, great, just what we need, another thing to worry about besides Netflix binge-watching and social media scrolling. A deadly virus outbreak in Ethiopia? 
What's next, a zombie apocalypse?! 
it's like, really deadly rn! i read that it's got an incubation period of up to 21 days which is super long lol, like what r we even doin these days? 
anywho, the fatality rate ranges from 25% to 80% which is wild lol. i feel bad for the ppl in southern ethiopia who are goin thru this 
How did they detect it first? Were there any symptoms to look out for before the outbreak? 
I also heard Rwanda got rid of their Marburg virus epidemic but it killed 15 people, is that a good success rate or should they be more worried? 
And what's the plan for vaccination and treatment now? Is there any new medication being tested? 
. Anyways, gotta keep fingers crossed that researchers can find a vaccine or something soon, this is no joke 
The more we learn about Marburg virus, the more I think everyone's freaking out over nothing 
. Nine cases in southern Ethiopia? That's not a outbreak, that's like, a normal flu season for Africa 
. And people are talking about 80% fatality rate? That's kinda exaggerated, don't you think? 
I mean, we've got all these fancy treatments and vaccines, but let's be real, most of us aren't even going to get sick in the first place 
marburg virus sounds like something out of a horror movie - i dont think im ready to hear about people dying from it 
. ive been reading about it on reddit with some med students and apparently its super hard to diagnose too... they need to get labs done ASAP or else people might not even know they're infected! 
Fingers and toes crossed for the people affected 
that means patients gotta rely on symptom management and oral rehydration which is great but also super slow to provide relief when you're dealing with something this deadly...
We should be worried... or not?