A suspected outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever in southern Ethiopia has claimed six lives, including two health workers, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to send an emergency response team to support national efforts to identify and contain the disease.
According to local health officials, the deaths were reported in Jinka town, in the South Omo Zone, where patients have shown symptoms consistent with viral hemorrhagic fevers such as high fever, weakness, and bleeding tendencies.
Dr. Selamu Tadesse, medical director of Jinka General Hospital, said the doctor and nurse who died had been treating patients with similar symptoms, raising concerns about transmission through close contact.
The WHO said an 11-member team of experts has been deployed to strengthen surveillance, testing, infection control, and clinical care in coordination with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the Ethiopia Public Health Institute (EPHI). Laboratory testing is underway to confirm the specific cause of the illness.
“The WHO has also released $300,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies and provided essential supplies, including protective equipment, isolation tents, and infection-prevention materials,” the organization said in a statement Thursday.
Health authorities have urged residents to remain calm and follow preventive measures as investigations continue in the South Ethiopia Region, where eight suspected cases have been reported so far.
Viral hemorrhagic fevers, such as Marburg, Ebola, Crimean-Congo, and Lassa fever, are often transmitted through contact with infected body fluids and can cause severe illness and high fatality rates if not contained early.