Ebola Outbreak in Liberia Is Spreading; Second Death Reported

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the genetic sequence of the virus sampled from the 17-year-old victim at the centre of the first cases for three months did not match variants circulating in neighbouring Guinea or Sierra Leone.

“There is one new case”.

Liberia on Wednesday recorded the sixth Ebola confirmed case and second death since the virus resurfaced in June.

Commissioner for global Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica said, “It’s important to remember that this Ebola epidemic has not just had an impact on the healthcare of the countries affected, it’s also crippled their economies, kept children out of school and brought trade to a standstill. A case has been reported in Monrovia, but has been reported expired”, chief medical officer Francis Karteh said on state radio.

Cassius Kollie is one of four people being treated for Ebola at a specialised treatment unit in the ELWA hospital in Monrovia.

In another development, researchers reported the successful test of an inhalable Ebola vaccine in monkeys, which they said raises the prospect of a vaccine that could be administered without the help of trained medical personnel.

Health officials say the virus probably remained latent in Liberia during the lull and could have been reactivated by a survivor, via sexual transmission.

“Am sure you have heard reports that after declaring Liberia free Ebola country, there some cases of disease been back in the country, So we should all be alert, if we suspect any thing relating to the disease we should be in a position to act as quick as possible” said Nyarko.

Ebola appears to be resurging in Liberia.

For the first time in months, most cases were reported from Conakry and Freetown, the capitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone, the agency said.

Tests on the 17-year-old showed the variant which killed him was genetically similar to the 2014 outbreak.

The virus spreads through direct contact with an Ebola patient’s blood or other body fluids.