Ethiopia investigates possible outbreak of new viral hemorrhagic fever after 8 people are infected

NAIROBI, Kenya– African health authorities on Thursday confirmed a possible outbreak of unidentified viral hemorrhagic fever in southern Ethiopia, which is under investigation after eight suspected cases were reported.

Ethiopia’s health ministry is expected to announce the results of the ongoing investigation on Friday, according to the Africa CDC, the continent-wide health response body.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are a group of epidemic-prone diseases and include Marburg and Ebola virus diseases, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Lassa fever, all of which have been reported on the continent in recent years.

The World Health Organization announced Thursday that it was deploying 11 technical officers to support Ethiopia in the investigation and response to the outbreak.

“WHO is also providing essential supplies, including personal protective equipment for health workers and infection prevention supplies, as well as a rapidly deployable isolation tent to strengthen clinical care and management capacity,” the UN agency said in a statement.

The outbreak was reported in the southern Omo region, which borders neighboring South Sudan.

Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya said Thursday the outbreak was concerning because “South Sudan is not far away and has a fragile health system.”

Several countries in East and Central Africa have recently experienced outbreaks of various viral hemorrhagic fevers.