Marburg outbreak toolbox

Updated | February 2025

Welcome to the Ebola Outbreak toolbox

Key reference documents

Marburg virus disease - Fact Sheet
Ebola and Marburg virus disease epidemics: preparedness, alert, control and evaluation: Interim manual (version 1.2.) (Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014).
Marburg virus disease – Questions and answers.
Map - Geographic distribution of Marburg virus disease outbreaks and bats of Pteropodidae family.

Case definition

WHO suggested outbreak case definition¹

Suspected case:²

any person, alive or dead, suffering or having suffered from sudden onset of high fever, and had contact with:
- a suspected, probable or confirmed case, or a dead or sick animal; or
- any person with sudden onset of high fever, and at least three of the following symptoms: headache, lethargy, anorexia/loss of appetite, aching muscles or joints, stomach pain, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, difficulty breathing, diarrhoea, hiccups; or
- any person with inexplicable bleeding; or
- any sudden, inexplicable death.

Probable case:³

any suspected case evaluated by a clinician; or
any deceased suspected case (where it has not been possible to collect specimens for laboratory confirmation) having an epidemiological link with a confirmed case.

Confirmed case:³

any suspected or probable case with a positive laboratory result (detection of Ebola virus by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), or detection of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies directed against Marburg or Ebola viruses).

Discarded case:³

any suspected or probable case with a negative laboratory result (showing no specific antibodies, ribonucleic acid (RNA) or specific detectable antigens).

WHO surveillance case definition

Technical guidelines for integrated disease surveillance and response in the African region (Brazzaville: WHO Regional Office for Africa; 2010 (p. 287)).

WHO other definition

Definition of a contact of a case:

any person having been exposed to a suspected, probable or confirmed case of Ebola virus infection, less than 21 days before the identification as a contact by surveillance teams, in at least one of the following ways:
- slept in the same household with a case;
- direct physical contact with the case (alive or dead) during the illness;
- direct physical contact with the (dead) case at the funeral;
- touched his/her blood or body fluids during the illness;
- touched his/her clothes or linen;
- been breastfed by a patient (baby).

¹^{See: Case definition recommendations for Ebola or Marburg virus diseases}^{(Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014).}
²^{Case definition to be used by mobile teams, health stations and health centres. Adapt as needed to new clinical presentations or different modes of transmission related to the local event.}
³^{Case definitions for exclusive use by hospitals and surveillance teams.}

Data collection tool

Case investigation form(s):
- Ebola or Marburg case investigation and recording sheet. In: Ebola and Marburg virus disease epidemics: preparedness, alert, control and evaluation. (Geneva: World Health Organization; 2014: Annex 5)
- Fiche d’investigation de notification de cas d’Ebola ou de Marburg. Dans : Flambées épidémiques de maladie à virus Ebola et Marburg : préparation, alerte, lutte et évaluation. (Genève : Organisation mondiale de la Santé ; 2014 : Annexe 5 (WHO).
Line list(s): Not available.
Electronic tools:
- WHO Godata 2.0 software: contact godata website