Liberia confirms three new Ebola cases, raising fears of remaining hidden pockets of the disease
ABC.net.au
7/2/2015
Liberia has confirmed three new cases of Ebola and warned of possible new infections, raising fears hidden pockets of the disease remain in the country nearly two months after it was declared Ebola-free.
More than 11,200 people have died since last year in the worst Ebola outbreak on record, nearly all of them in the three neighbouring countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Liberia was declared Ebola-free on May 9 and, until now, had been viewed as a rare success story.
But the confirmation on Tuesday of an Ebola case in a rural area of Margibi County, about 50 kilometres from the capital Monrovia, raised fears of a resurgence of the disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Liberian authorities were monitoring more than 100 people thought to have come into contact with Abraham Memaigar, who died from the disease on Sunday.
The 17-year-old, initially misdiagnosed with malaria, was buried the same day but tests on his body later confirmed his infection.
A neighbour later also tested positive.
“We have, as of yesterday, three confirmed cases,” deputy health minister Tolbert Nyenswah said on Thursday.
“One expired, who was the 17-year-old boy … The two live cases are 24 years old and 27 years old. They are stable.”
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