A deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus has been detected in southern Ethiopia, health authorities confirmed on Saturday.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said the National Reference Laboratory had verified the presence of the virus, one of the world’s most lethal pathogens.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Friday that at least nine cases had been identified in the Jinka area.

Ethiopian health authorities moved quickly to investigate the suspected haemorrhagic fever after Africa CDC was alerted earlier in the week. The agency said further epidemiological studies and laboratory analyses were under way, noting that the virus strain detected closely resembles those previously found in East Africa.

The Marburg virus, similar to Ebola, causes severe bleeding, high fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, and has an incubation period of up to 21 days. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment, though supportive care, including oral or intravenous rehydration and treatment of symptoms, can significantly improve survival rates.

Africa CDC said it would collaborate with Ethiopia to help contain the outbreak and prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the region.