National Alert Issued Over Cross-Border Threat

NAIROBI, KENYA – Kenya’s National Public Health Institute (KNPHI) issued a nationwide alert on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, urging all 47 counties to intensify surveillance and readiness for the Marburg virus. The warning follows confirmation from Ethiopia's Ministry of Health of the country's first-ever outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever in Jinka town, South Ethiopia Region, close to the Kenyan and South Sudanese borders.

Ethiopian health officials reported on Monday, November 17, that three people have died from the virus. At least nine cases have been confirmed since the outbreak was declared on November 14, 2025, with an additional 129 contacts being closely monitored. The proximity of the outbreak and the significant daily cross-border movement between the two nations places Kenya at high risk of importation, according to KNPHI Acting Director General, Dr. Kamene Kimenye.

Understanding the Marburg Virus

Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a severe and often fatal illness belonging to the same filovirus family as Ebola. The virus is transmitted to humans from fruit bats of the *Rousettus aegyptiacus* species and spreads between people through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. It can also be transmitted through contact with surfaces and materials, like bedding or clothing, contaminated with these fluids.

The incubation period for MVD ranges from 2 to 21 days. Initial symptoms are abrupt and include high fever, severe headache, muscle aches, and intense malaise. Many patients experience severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, cramping, nausea, and vomiting around the third day. Within a week, many develop severe hemorrhagic manifestations, including bleeding from the nose, gums, and in vomit and faeces. The average case fatality rate is around 50%, but has varied from 24% to as high as 88% in past outbreaks, depending on the virus strain and the quality of case management. There are currently no licensed vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for MVD, but supportive care, such as rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids, significantly improves survival rates.

Kenya’s Preparedness Measures

In response to the threat, the KNPHI has directed all counties to activate their public health emergency operations centres. Key directives issued by Dr. Kimenye include:

• Enhanced Surveillance: Counties must strengthen monitoring at all points of entry, health facilities, and within communities to rapidly detect and report any suspected cases. This includes training health workers to identify the standard case definition for viral hemorrhagic fevers.
• Isolation and Infection Control: Health facilities are required to identify and prepare isolation units for potential cases. Strict infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), are mandated for all healthcare workers.
• Rapid Response and Laboratory Readiness: Authorities must ensure that systems are in place for the safe collection, packaging, and transportation of samples to national laboratories for swift confirmation.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: KNPHI has stressed the importance of risk communication, urging counties to use local leaders and media to disseminate accurate information on Marburg symptoms, prevention methods, and the need for early reporting. The public is advised to avoid contact with sick individuals, practice frequent handwashing, and follow safe burial practices, which should only be handled by trained personnel.

Regional and Global Context

The outbreak in Ethiopia is part of a worrying trend of filovirus emergencies in East Africa. Recent Marburg outbreaks have been recorded in Tanzania and Rwanda. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has acknowledged the outbreak and is working closely with Ethiopian authorities to support containment efforts, including bolstering genomic sequencing and surveillance. Genetic analysis indicates the strain in Ethiopia is similar to those previously identified in the region.

While Kenya has experienced sporadic cases of Marburg in the past, a widespread outbreak would place immense strain on the nation's health system. The government's proactive alert and the outlined preparedness measures are critical steps in mitigating the risk posed by this latest regional health security threat.