We detected Marburg virus genome in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) captured in Zambia in September 2018. The virus was closely related phylogenetically to the viruses that previously caused Marburg outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This finding demonstrates that Zambia is at risk for Marburg virus disease.
Keywords: Chiroptera; Egyptian fruit bats; Filoviridae; Marburg virus disease; Marburgvirus; Zambia; viruses.