(MENAFN) Ethiopia's deadly Marburg virus outbreak has now claimed six lives, the nation's Health Ministry confirmed Wednesday, as the East African country grapples with mounting infectious disease emergencies.

Laboratory testing has processed 73 suspected infections, data from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) revealed in a ministry statement, with five patients currently receiving medical care. Contact tracing efforts have identified 349 individuals potentially exposed to the hemorrhagic fever, though 119 have already cleared their surveillance window.

Ethiopia officially declared its inaugural Marburg outbreak on November 15 after the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced diagnostic confirmation of the virus in the country's southern territories.

Authorities have established quarantine facilities in impacted zones, mobilized specialized healthcare personnel, and stockpiled critical medical resources to enhance treatment protocols. Enhanced health screening procedures now operate at aviation hubs, land borders, and additional ports of entry.

"Additionally, Ethiopia is working with countries that previously experienced Marburg outbreaks to exchange expertise, learn from their experience, and access treatments and vaccines," the statement added.

The pathogen—first documented in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Serbia—triggers a devastating hemorrhagic illness comparable to Ebola. Clinical manifestations include nausea, vomiting, sore throat, and acute abdominal pain, with fatal cases progressing to internal hemorrhaging and organ failure. The virus transmits through direct exposure to infected biological fluids or contaminated surfaces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted late last week that "Ethiopia is facing concurrent emergencies and multiple disease outbreaks, including of cholera, measles, dengue, which results in stretched health capacity."

Russia's public health authority, Rospotrebnadzor, announced collaboration with Ethiopian health officials and confirmed development of an advanced diagnostic tool for rapid Marburg detection.

The crisis unfolds amid a cascade of health catastrophes across Africa. Namibia's Ministry of Health and Social Services reported Monday that Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has emerged in the Khomas region—a tick-transmitted viral disease characterized by sudden high-grade fever, debilitating muscle pain, and potentially fatal internal bleeding in severe presentations.

Meanwhile, the continent confronts its most severe cholera crisis in a quarter-century, with documented cases surpassing 300,000 and fatalities exceeding 7,000 in 2025 alone.

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