Ebola Cases Continue to Rise: 25 Deaths in Five Days

Image: Reuters

50 more cases of Ebola have been reported this week and a further 25 people have died in what is the largest and most widespread outbreak of Ebola ever to date. A World Health organization spokesman has said that health workers in Sierra Leone,Liberia and Guinea are struggling to control the spread of the disease.

In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO said the latest figures from health ministries in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea showed a total of 844 cases since the epidemic began in February.

Guinea’s ministry reported two deaths since 3 July but no new cases in the past week, the WHO said, calling the situation in the affected region of West Africa a “mixed picture”.

It said Sierra Leone had accounted for 34 of the new cases and 14 deaths, while Liberia reported 16 new cases and 9 deaths.

“These numbers indicate that active viral transmission continues in the community,” the statement said. (source)

•  Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage
• Fatality rate can reach 90%
• Incubation period is two to 21 days
• There is no vaccine or cure
• Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery
• Fruit bats are considered to be the natural host of the virus

A U.S citizen suspected of having the virus is still under investigation. The man had recently traveled to West Africa and was quarantined after showing signs of the virus. No further details are available at this point.