The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Health Advisory today about a new outbreak of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Ethiopia’s South Ethiopia and Sidama regions. MVD is a rare, severe viral hemorrhagic fever that can cause serious illness and death. This is the first reported outbreak of MVD in Ethiopia.
As of December 3, 2025, no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of MVD related to this outbreak have been reported in the United States or other countries. Currently, the risk of spread to the United States is considered low; however, clinicians should be aware of the potential for imported cases.
Clinicians should obtain a detailed travel history from patients with acute febrile illness, especially those who have recently been in affected areas of Ethiopia, while also ruling out more common causes of febrile illnesses. Early consideration of MVD is essential to ensuring timely isolation and implementation of other precautions, informing public health, and providing prompt and appropriate care and diagnostics.
The full CDC communication provides recommendations on case identification, testing, and clinical laboratory biosafety considerations in the United States.
