Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). /HANDOUT.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed a case of Marburg virus disease (MVD) in Uganda, marking the country's latest encounter with the highly infectious disease.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Ugandan health authorities notified the agency on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, of a confirmed case in western Uganda.
The case was detected through enhanced disease surveillance put in place for Ebola.
"In Uganda, no new cases of Ebola have been reported since the 21st of June. However, on Tuesday this week, Uganda notified WHO of a confirmed case of Marburg virus disease in the country's western Kyegegwa District. The case was identified through enhanced disease surveillance for Ebola," Dr Tedros said.
He added that health authorities had identified and were monitoring all contacts linked to the confirmed case, with none having developed symptoms so far.
"WHO is supporting investigations to determine the source of exposure, assess the public health risk, and to support community engagement," he said.
The latest case is not Uganda's first encounter with the disease.
According to WHO, the East African nation recorded three Marburg cases in 2017, all of which were fatal.
Uganda also experienced an outbreak in 2012 that resulted in 15 confirmed cases and four deaths.
The virus has previously been reported in Kenya.
WHO records show Kenya documented three cases between 1980 and 1987, resulting in two deaths in three cases.
Marburg virus disease, formerly known as Marburg haemorrhagic fever, is a severe and often fatal viral illness caused by the Marburg virus, a member of the same Filoviridae family as the Ebola virus.
Although different viruses cause the two diseases, they present with similar symptoms and can cause outbreaks with high fatality rates.
According to WHO, the average case fatality rate for Marburg virus disease is around 50 per cent, although previous outbreaks have recorded fatality rates ranging from 24 per cent to as high as 88 per cent depending on the quality and timeliness of patient care.
The natural host of the virus is the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
The virus spreads through direct contact with the blood, body fluids or contaminated materials of an infected person.
Healthcare workers and family members caring for patients are among those at increased risk if appropriate infection prevention measures are not observed.
The incubation period ranges from two to 21 days.
The illness typically begins suddenly with high fever, severe headache, muscle pain and general weakness.
Patients may later develop severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain, vomiting and, in severe cases, bleeding from various parts of the body.
Fatal cases often occur between eight and nine days after symptoms begin, usually following severe blood loss and shock.
There are currently no approved vaccines or antiviral treatments for Marburg virus disease.
However, WHO says early supportive care, including rehydration and treatment of symptoms, significantly improves survival, while several vaccines and therapeutic drugs remain under development.
WHO has emphasised that community engagement, rapid surveillance, contact tracing, isolation of confirmed cases, safe burial practices and public awareness remain critical to containing outbreaks and preventing further transmission.
