Ebola and Marburg: Viruses Loose in Eastern Africa

By Madelyn Williams

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is no stranger to disease outbreaks such as malaria, Mpox, and dengue fever. This is due to warm climate, rich biodiversity, weak public health systems, malnutrition, and various other factors. While some diseases are a constant challenge, others emerge as sudden outbreaks like the Sudan Virus Disease (SVD) and Marburg virus (MVD). These, if not caught and contained quicky, can overload the healthcare system and lead to high mortality rates.
On January 29, 2025, the Ugandan government detected an SVD outbreak, this being the 8th Ebola outbreak since 2000. The first case was documented in the capital city of Kampala and confirmed 9 cases by February 11. Subsequently, the CDC issued a health advisory and classified Uganda as a Travel Health Notice Level 2 status: Practice Enhanced Precautions for those traveling to the country. Symptoms of SVD include fever, headache, muscle/joint pain, and unexplained bleeding. It is spread through direct contact with an infected individual’s bodily fluids through broken skin or mucous membrane. SVD (Orthoebolavirus Sudanense) is very similar in presentation to the Ebola (Orthoebolavirus Zairense) outbreak in 2014 but is caused by different proteins and genetic components. Due to these differences, the two viruses activate different immune responses making vaccinees for the 2014 Ebola ineffective against SVD. Early diagnosis is paramount to preventing the spread of the disease and reduction of fatalities. There is no vaccine, therapy, or treatment for SVD, and previous outbreaks have had a mortality rate of 50%. The CDC has confirmed that there are no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of SVD outside of Uganda.

While Uganda battles SVD, its neighbor Tanzania is struggling with its own disease outbreak. On January 20, 2025, the Tanzanian President declared a Marburg virus outbreak despite the Heath Minister having denied there were any cases a week before. On January 14, the WHO reported an outbreak with 9 suspected cases and 8 deaths. Symptoms of MVD (Marburg Marburgvirus) are extremely similar to the Ebola viruses despite being a different genus. Like SVD, there are no established treatments or therapies for MVD, and it exhibits a similar mortality rate. Tanzania’s outbreak is the most recent in a string of outbreaks in countries across Africa including Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, the DRC, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. Despite the prominence of MVD in SSA healthcare officials say there is little concern that this could become a global risk.

Disease outbreaks are not new in SSA and will continue to be an ongoing challenge. US President Trump has withdrawn from the WHO and suspended aid to foreign countries. This decision will affect the detection, research, treatment, and prevention of various diseases globally. African countries are looking to other countries to provide public health support. On February 14, the Rwandan President convened a meeting with African leaders to explore alternate solutions for addressing the gaps left by the withdrawal of US aid. With ongoing disease outbreaks coupled with persistent challenges such as HIV/AIDS, the need for sustainable and self-sufficient healthcare systems in SSA is more critical than ever.