Ethiopia Reports First-Ever Outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease with 9 Confirmed Cases: WHO

New Delhi, Nov 15 Ethiopia has reported the first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease — a rare and deadly viral haemorrhagic fever — with lab reports confirming nine cases, said the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease, caused by the Marburg virus, is from the same family of viruses that cause Ebola virus disease. It has a case fatality ratio of up to 88 per cent and has no antiviral treatment or vaccine. It is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and spreads among people through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials. The symptoms include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches and fatigue, and many patients develop severe bleeding within a week of onset.