The exact origin of the Marburg virus is still unknown. At the moment, it is believed that the disease for which it is responsible can be a zoonosis, maintained by one or more native animals of the African continent. However, the research carried out to date has not made it possible to identify the natural reservoir of the disease, although many vertebrates and arthropods have been analyzed.
According to the World Health Organization, humans are not part of the natural cycle of the virus, so the contagion would basically come from casual contact with another infected primate. In fact, transmission through some species of monkeys has been documented, probably acting as "amplifying hosts" for the Marburg virus. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that primates may in turn be infected by exposure to bats .
