Uganda reports isolated Marburg virus case

Ugandan health authorities have confirmed an isolated case of Marburg virus while conducting surveillance for the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), citing Ugandan authorities, reported that the case was detected in the Kyegegwa district in western Uganda, in a one-year-old child who had died.

No new active cases have been identified since the initial detection, and no known contacts with the infected child have since developed symptoms.

Consequently, Africa CDC spokesperson Saran Koly stated that “at this stage, we cannot confirm reports of any additional case”.

This is not the first occurrence of the disease in the East African country. Uganda’s ​last Marburg outbreak was in 2017, with three ⁠others prior to that.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested further information, and will support the local response, including case investigation, active case finding, contact tracing, and community engagement.

The Marburg virus is transmitted through:

• Direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids from a person with the infection
• Direct contact (handling or washing) of an infected corpse
• Contact with objects that have been in contact with infected secretions.

Uganda is currently tackling an Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak, ⁠which originated in the neighbouring Democratic Republic ​of the Congo (DRC). There have been 20 Ebola cases in Uganda and two deaths.

An outbreak of Marburg was previously reported in Rwanda in late 2024.