Marburg Virus Disease (MVD)

Outbreaks

Updated: 3/13/2025

March 13, 2025: The Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania declared the end of the Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak. (WHO, accessed 3/13/25, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON559)

February 2, 2025: In Tanzania, no new cases of MVD have been reported since January 20, 2025. A total of 281 contacts have been identified for follow-up, of whom 241 have reportedly completed the 21-day follow-up period. (WHO African Region, accessed 2/2/25, https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/disease-outbreaks/outbreaks-and-other-emergencies-updates)

January 31, 2025: A total of 10 cases, all dead (CFR 100.0%), have been reported in the Kagera region of the United Republic of Tanzania. Of these, two were laboratory-confirmed, while the remaining eight have been classified as probable cases with epidemiological links to the index case. (WHO African Region, accessed 1/31/25, https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/disease-outbreaks/outbreaks-and-other-emergencies-updates)

January 14, 2025: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of suspected MVD in the Kagera region of the United Republic of Tanzania. As of January 11, 2025, nine suspected cases had been reported, including eight deaths, for a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 89%. (WHO, accessed 1/14/25, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON552)

December 20, 2024: The Ministry of Health of Rwanda declared the end of the MVD outbreak. (WHO, accessed 12/20/24, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON548)

November 13, 2024: On November 9, 2024, Rwanda began the recommended 42-day countdown to declare the end of the MVD outbreak in Rwanda. As of November 8, 2024, 66 confirmed cases, including 15 deaths with a case fatality ratio (CFR) of 23% have been reported and 51 confirmed cases have recovered. The country has reported no new confirmed cases since October 30, 2024. (WHO, accessed 11/13/24, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON544)

September 30, 2024: The Rwanda Ministry of Health announced its first-ever outbreak of MVD. As of September 29, 2024, a total of 26 confirmed cases, including eight deaths (CFR: 31%), have been reported from seven of the 30 districts in the country. Among the confirmed cases, over 70% are healthcare workers from two health facilities in Kigali. (WHO, accessed 9/30/24, https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON537)

See the chronology of MVD outbreaks.

About Marburg Virus Disease

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a high-consequence infectious disease that causes viral hemorrhagic fever and is fatal on average 50% of the time and up to nearly 90%. It is from the same family of viruses that causes Ebola virus disease and is commonly found in various African regions.

Infection in humans is typically caused by prolonged exposure to mines or caves inhabited by Rousettus bat colonies; however, MVD can also be spread via human-to-human transmission. Modes of transmission include through blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people and on surfaces or materials that are contaminated with those fluids. Individuals with MVD are infectious as long as their blood contains the virus, which includes time after a patient has died.

Marburg virus disease’s incubation period is 2-21 days. Initial symptoms of MVD include fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. After a few days, rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sore throat may develop, and symptoms grow more severe. Those infected may experience jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, liver failure, massive hemorrhaging, and multi-organ dysfunction.

Where to Start

See the WHO’s MVD Factsheet.
See the CDC’s webpage “About MVD.”
See the WHO's Disease Outbreak News (DONs)for the latest updates on recent outbreaks of MVD.

Selected Resources

NETEC has curated essential MVD resources. If you have questions or need support, you can submit a request via the website or by emailing info@netec.org, and one of NETEC’s experts in special pathogens will respond.