At least nine deaths in the western province of Kie Ntem proved positive for viral hemorrhagic fever after preliminary tests. As a consequence, on February 13, Equatorial Guinea was forced to recognize the first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease.  

After a warning from a county health official on February 7, the samples were sent to the Institute Pasteur reference laboratory in Senegal, and one of the eight tested positive for the virus. So far, there have been nine deaths and 16 suspected cases which symptoms including fever, fatigue, blood-stained vomit, and diarrhea.