MoH: Egypt Confirms It Is Free of Marburg Virus

Egypt remains completely free of the Marburg virus, the Ministry of Health and Population confirmed, stressing that the country has strong surveillance systems in place to monitor any global developments related to infectious diseases.

Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the ministry’s official spokesperson, said that Egypt’s preventive medicine sector works in continuous coordination with international health bodies—including the World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities worldwide—to track emerging epidemiological patterns.

According to Extra News, Abdel Ghaffar emphasized that Marburg is a zoonotic virus that initially spread from fruit bats in regions where they naturally exist. Transmission can occur from an infected bat to a human and from one infected person to another.

However, he clarified that the virus does not spread through the air. Instead, it is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood or respiratory droplets, requiring prolonged and close exposure—making the likelihood of widespread transmission relatively low.

Abdel Ghaffar emphasized that Egypt has none of the bat species known to carry the virus and that no suspected or confirmed cases have been detected in the country. He assured the public that the national health system has advanced mechanisms for surveillance, tracing, and early detection of any potential threats.

The spokesperson acknowledged that public concern is understandable, particularly in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Yet he noted that Marburg is not a new virus; it was first identified in 1967, providing the global health community with decades of accumulated knowledge on its characteristics and transmission routes. While no specific treatment is currently available, this does not diminish the ability of health systems to control or monitor the virus effectively.

Abdel Ghaffar outlined the symptoms of Marburg infection, which typically begin with high fever, followed by diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, the disease may progress to cause bleeding that can lead to death.

He reiterated that there is no cause for concern in Egypt, given the absence of the virus and the country’s robust disease-surveillance infrastructure.