November 26, 2025 — Leads & Copy — The Global Virus Network (GVN) has issued a statement regarding the confirmed outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in southern Ethiopia.
The GVN, a coalition of virologists in over 40 countries, focuses on advancing pandemic preparedness through research, education, training, and global health solutions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak was confirmed on November 14, 2025, after initial cases of viral hemorrhagic-fever in Jinka town, South Omo Region, Ethiopia, tested positive for Marburg virus RNA. As of November 20, 2025, six laboratory-confirmed cases, including three deaths, have been reported, with three probable deaths under investigation. The number of contacts being monitored is 206 and growing.
Professor Pontiano Kaleebu, director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) and a GVN Center of Excellence director, stated that the priority is to rapidly identify infected individuals, isolate them, and prevent further transmission. There are currently no approved therapeutics or licensed vaccines for Marburg virus disease, making timely case management, surveillance, and contact tracing essential. Supportive clinical care remains the cornerstone of treatment.
Kaleebu emphasized several urgent research and outbreak-management needs, including vaccine research. The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s ChAd3-MARV vaccine candidate was tested in Rwanda last year but could not provide efficacy data. The Makerere University Walter Reed Project in Uganda, along with Sabin and others, has conducted Phase I/II trials, and UVRI is actively defining immune correlates of protection.
Experimental uses of antivirals such as remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies have been recorded in previous outbreaks, though data remain limited. Investigations must trace the sources of the outbreak. Given that this is the first Marburg detection in Ethiopia, studies should examine local bat reservoirs (especially Rousettus aegyptiacus), potential cross-border importation, retrospective serosurveys, and environmental modeling of spill-over risk.
Previous modeling by UVRI for Ugandan outbreaks identified geographic risk zones. This modeling framework should now be applied to Ethiopia to assess climatic or ecological changes enabling emergence.
“This outbreak also presents an opportunity to advance much-needed vaccine and therapeutic research for Marburg virus,” Kaleebu said. “Scientific studies involving survivors, including immunologic responses and viral shedding over time, will be essential to strengthen global preparedness.”
GVN also notes regional implications. The outbreak’s location, close to the borders with South Sudan and Kenya, raises the potential for cross-border spread. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is actively supporting Ethiopia’s response with diagnostics, genomic sequencing capacity, and bio-surveillance.
Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim, director of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) and chair of the Africa CDC’s Emergency Consultative Group on continental public health emergencies, said that the detection of Marburg virus in Ethiopia reinforces the need for strong surveillance systems, rapid diagnostic capacity, and scientific partnerships across Africa. He noted that Africa has the scientific leadership, laboratory capabilities, and field experience to confront outbreaks like this, but investment in preparedness must be sustained not just during crises.
The GVN will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with partners across Africa and the global health community to support outbreak response, research efforts, and long-term strategies to mitigate future Marburg virus threats.
Nora Samaranayake
nsamaranayake@gvn.org
Source: Global Virus Network
