Fear in Guinea capital as Ebola virus spreads
New cases confirmed in Conakry spark fears of the deadly virus spreading far beyond the West African nation’s borders.
Aljazeera.com
29 Mar 2014
Ebola, one of the world’s most deadly viruses, has spread from a remote forested corner of southern Guinea to the country’s seaside capital, raising fears that the disease, which causes severe bleeding and almost always death, could spread far beyond this tiny West African nation’s borders.
In the first outbreak of its kind in Conakry, Ebola already has killed at least 70 people including one man whose family brought him to the capital, for medical treatment.
Now six of his relatives and two others exposed to him are being kept in isolation at a hospital, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Health officials warn that the arrival of Ebola in this sprawling city of some 2 million people with an international airport could spell disaster.
Among the poorest countries in the world, Guinea has severely limited medical facilities and a large population living in slums where the virus could spread quickly.
Risk of ‘crisis’
“Poor living conditions and lack of water and sanitation in most parts of Conakry poses a serious risk of this epidemic spiraling into a crisis,” said Ibrahima Toure, country director for the aid group Plan International.
Panic already has grown among residents since the government announced the Conakry cases late Thursday on national television.
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