A suspected outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever in southern Ethiopia has killed six people, including two healthcare workers, prompting an emergency response from the World Health Organization amid concerns over human-to-human transmission.
Outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever claims 6 lives in Ethiopia: WHO responds
Dr. Abebaw Bekel, from Eka Kobe General Hospital, receives a dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, March 13, 2021.
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The outbreak, centered in Jinka town in the South Omo Zone, has claimed the lives of a doctor and a nurse who had been treating patients with similar symptoms.
Jinka General Hospital's medical director confirmed the fatalities, highlighting the significant transmission risk through close patient contact and raising alarms about healthcare system vulnerabilities.
WHO mobilizes emergency team and critical supplies
The global health agency has dispatched 11 experts and $300,000 in emergency funding to bolster Ethiopia's response.
The team is assisting with surveillance, testing, and infection control while delivering essential supplies including personal protective equipment and a deployable isolation tent to contain the outbreak's spread.
Mysterious fever under investigation
Ethiopian health authorities are scaling up their investigation with laboratory testing underway at the Ethiopia Public Health Institute to identify the specific pathogen.
Viral hemorrhagic fevers—including Marburg, Ebola, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever—cause severe symptoms including fever, fatigue, and exhaustion, with this outbreak representing the latest health challenge facing the East African nation.