The death toll from Ethiopia’s Marburg virus outbreak has risen to six, with five people currently receiving medical treatment.
The country’s health ministry reported that 11 people have been infected, and 349 individuals suspected of having contact with infected persons have been isolated.
Of these, 119 have been released after completing their surveillance.
The Marburg virus, part of the same family as Ebola, causes severe headaches and hemorrhaging, with previous outbreaks in Africa resulting in fatality rates as high as 80% or more.
The Ethiopian government has confirmed its first-ever Marburg virus outbreak in Jinka town, southern Ethiopia, on November 14, following laboratory testing of samples from suspected viral hemorrhagic fever cases.
