New Ebola case in Liberia
MONROVIA: Liberia pulled out all the stops at the weekend to track down anyone who might have come into contact with the country’s latest confirmed Ebola patient.
The most recent case, confirmed by medical charity Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) late on Friday, destroyed hopes that the West African nation might soon be declared free of the virus.
Liberia had not reported a new case for 27 days. The last Ebola patient was discharged more than two weeks ago.
As the incubation period of the deadly virus is 21 days, the World Health Organisation (WHO) requires a country to show that no new case has been reported for 42 days before officially declaring it Ebola free.
The new case “is an unfortunate reminder that all Liberians need to maintain the same heightened level of vigilance and proper preventive behaviour”, said the information minister, Lewis Brown.
The Health Ministry deployed various surveillance and contact tracing teams on Saturday to prevent the further spread of the virus.
The new patient is a 44year-old woman who was tested in an MSF treatment unit at Redemption Hospital in the capital, Monrovia.
She was reportedly infected during sexual intercourse with an Ebola survivor.
The report prompted a backlash on the streets of Monrovia, where some residents blamed the victim.
“Some people just don’t learn. Health authorities have warned Ebola survivors to stay away from sex for 90 days after their discharge.
“Why couldn’t she wait or simply use a condom?” said one Monrovia resident.
Liberia is one of the countries worst hit by an Ebola epidemic, with 9 526 reported infections and 4 264 deaths.
The number of people infected with Ebola in the last 15 months reached 24 701 worldwide, of whom 10 194 died, according to the WHO.
Some people just don’t learn. Why couldn’t she wait, or simply use a condom?