Ebola re-appears in Liberia

Health workers leave after they took blood from a child to test for the Ebola virus in an area where a 17-year old boy died from the virus on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia, June 30, 2015

The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which terrorized some nations of the world last year has re-appeared in Liberia, the West African country where it killed about 4,800 people before it was contained. The last recorded case before this latest emergence was on March 20, according to the World Health Organisation.

Dr. Philip Ireland of John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Monrovia disclosed that, “We will contain it quickly because of where we are in the learning curve as far as Ebola is concerned”.

Two new cases have been linked to the corpse of a 17-year old boy who died on Sunday, June 28, 2015, the only two known cases as of July 3, 2015, said Liberia Ebola response Chief Tolbert Nyenswah.

According to Associated Press, WHO Spokeswoman Margaret Harris stated Friday, July 3 that the community of Nedowein, where the new cases were found had strong community engagement.

“We still have to determine the source of this infection” she said. Investigations include speaking with community members, mobilising experts and genetic sequencing, she said.

“We’re looking at the genetics of the virus to see how closely it is related to viruses we’re seeing in Guinea, in Sierra Leone or in previous chains of infection in Liberia,” she said.

The dead teen, it was learnt became ill June 21 and went to a local clinic where he was treated for malaria and discharged. Meanwhile, authorities have traced about 175 people who had contact with him. 

The countries mostly hit by the EVD were Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia and the majority of the more than 11,200 deaths come from these three countries.

photo credit: abc news