Ethiopia declared its first confirmed outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) on November 14, 2025, joining a growing list of African nations battling this severe Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (VHF). The MVD outbreak, with strains showing similarities to East African variants, highlights how this deadly zoonotic illness, transmitted from fruit bats, is silently expanding its geographic footprint across the continent.
The necessity of the One Health approach is powerfully validated by this outbreak, demanding unified action in a world where human, animal, and environmental health are intrinsically linked. While current response efforts in Ethiopia focus on immediate public health measures, including screening, isolation, tracing, and public awareness campaigns, a sustainable solution requires simultaneous proactive veterinary research into the ecology of the bat reservoir and the dynamics of viral shedding. Without integrating veterinary expertise to break the transmission cycle at its source (the animal host), humanity remains perpetually vulnerable to the escalating threat of emerging zoonotic VHFs.
The severity of Marburg is compounded by the fact that, despite aggressive international response, there is currently no licensed therapeutic or vaccine available, leaving supportive care as the only reliable option. Therefore, the most impactful and indispensable contribution the veterinary sector can make is through strengthening early detection and surveillance systems. Investing in robust animal health infrastructure is the only way to proactively manage these pathogens and mitigate future global public health and economic crises.
