15-year-old Liberian boy dies from Ebola in fresh outbreak
The 15-year-old died on Monday night, said Francis Kateh, chief medical officer and acting head of Liberia’s ebola case management system.
The teenager, who lived in Liberia’s eastern Paynesville district, was the first patient in the country since it was declared ebola-free for a second time in September.
His father and brother also have tested positive for the virus, and have been taken to a treatment centre along with his mother and two other siblings.
Liberia announces first fatal case of Ebola since it was declared Ebola-free this year https://t.co/QKC6772s8J
— PBS News (@NewsHour) November 24, 2015
Health officials have identified nearly 160 people who might be at risk of being infected with the disease, including eight healthcare workers “who are at high risk because they came in direct contact with the boy”, said Sorbor George, a spokesman for the country’s health ministry.
Liberia said on Monday that it had sought assistance from two experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine the cause of the latest cases.
More than 11,300 deaths have been recorded for the entire outbreak, which was first confirmed in March 2014 and has been concentrated in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, according to the World Health Organisation.
Liberia has recorded more than 4,800 deaths and more than 10,600 cases.
