Bloody virus: Why Kenya cannot afford to take chances on Marburg

Public Health officials in Kenya are in the initial stages of planning for a possible Marburg virus outbreak in Kenya after three deaths were confirmed in Ethiopia.

“We share a long border with Ethiopia and it is also a hub for international travel. We are increasing our surveillance capacity. We have sent out alerts to the counties to prepare case management facilities since this is a highly infectious disease that will need unique isolation wards,” Dr Patrick Amoth, the Director General for Health at the Ministry of Health (MoH), told Health & Science.

“Today I will be meeting my counterpart who heads the Emergency Operations Centre,” said Dr Boku Botha, the head of One Health Unit in Marsabit County, which borders Ethiopia to the north.

Ethiopia has confirmed three deaths linked to the virus. Tests are also underway for three more fatalities highly suspected to be as a result of the virus.

Last week, the Ethiopian government officially declared an outbreak in the Omo region that closely borders South Sudan and is located some few hundreds of kilometers from Kenya. The specific village is known as Jinka.

Marburg virus causes Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), which is a deadly illness that has previously recorded a fatality rate as high as nine out of ten infected people.

“Compared to Covid-19, for instance, Marburg is extremely lethal,” says Dr Victor Ofula, a senior research scientist at, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever laboratory at Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI).

Death usually occurs between days eight and nine after the onset of symptoms.

“Blood loss due to Marburg infection can be immense, leading to a significant drop in blood volume, thus preventing the heart from distributing oxygen-rich blood, resulting in a shock and then death,” Ofula says.

The virus is transmitted through bodily fluids such as saliva, blood and mucous secretions of the infected person.

Marburg is also a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from infected animals to humans. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), MVD epidemic usually jumps to humans from prolonged exposure to caves inhabited by the Rousettus fruit bat – Rousettus aegyptiacus.

MVD is caused by Marburg virus or Ravn virus (Orthomarburgvirus marburgense), which belongs to the same family as Ebola virus.

According to WHO, MVD has an incubation period – from the time one becomes infected to onset of symptoms – of between two and 21 days. Initial symptoms include severe fever, intense headaches and muscle pain, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea.

From day five, patients may develop haemorrhagic episodes: blood in vomit and faeces, and bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina.

As per initial reporting, 17 individuals in Jinka had been tested for the virus, of which nine infections were confirmed.

The border experiences lots of movement between the two countries, says Abdi Adan, Marsabit County’s head of Emergency Operations Centre. He explains: “The communities that live along the border practice pastoralism. But also there is movement due to business and social commitments like family.”

Al Jazeera reports that Ethiopia has isolated 129 people who were in contact with identified patients, while South Sudan has issued health advisories urging residents to practice preventive measures such as avoiding contact with infectious fluids and practising hand hygiene.

Kenya’s MoH, through the Institute of Public Health, has issued a similar advisory, dated November 14, 2025.

Is there cause for worry?

“When we panic, things go wrong. What we need is for our officers manning every entry port to be vigilant. Anyone complaining of headache, fever or joint pains must be investigated before being released into the population,” says Ofula.

Healthcare workers and close family members of the infected are the most at risk.

Marburg virus gets its name from Germany. In, 1967 – the first time the virus was identified – there were outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt cities in Germany.

The 1967 outbreaks were associated with laboratory work with African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) that had been imported from Uganda.

There have been at least ten outbreaks between 1967 and now. In October 2012, an outbreak in Uganda killed at least five people.

Dr Amoth confirms that MoH has sent out communication for enhanced surveillance at all official ports of entry and has adopted Infection Prevention and Control protocols developed by the Africa CDC.

He also said Kenya has built anti-pandemic response systems for Covid-19 and is prepared to effectively respond if the virus is detected in the population.

MVD can be much lower with good and early patient care. Although several promising candidate medical countermeasures are currently undergoing clinical trials, there is no licensed therapeutic or vaccine for effective management or prevention of Marburg virus disease. However, early access to supportive treatment and care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms improve survival.

In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda.