Ebola on the rampage again

The Ministry of Health has disclosed that so far, there are only two new suspected Ebola cases in Monrovia. The deputy head for the Incident Management System, Dr. Francis Kateh, detailed that one suspect is a resident of the Clara Town Community, while the other is an active contact, who associated with the recent confirmed case in Caldwell, Montserrado County.

He said both suspects are showing signs and symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus and have already been isolated, while sample tests will be conducted soon, adding that all measures in place to trace those, who might have gotten in contact with the suspect from Clara Town in order to avoid further transmission of the virus in the community. 

Addressing reporters Wednesday at the Ministry of Information on Capitol Hill, Dr. Kateh said the suspected person from Clara Town has no connection with the latest confirmed Ebola case from Caldwell something, which he said, makes the situation a bit complicated, but urged citizens to be calm and trust the ability of the health team. 

“I know the situation seems troubling, but there is no need for the public to panic because the Ministry of Health has all the manpower and logistics to deal with the issue now so what happened in March 2014 will not be repeated this time around,” he assured.

 He said, though Liberia has come a long way in the fight against the Ebola virus, there is still a need for people to continue to adhere to all necessary preventive measures prescribed by the Ministry of Health, and stop being complacent because Ebola is still in the Country. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Kateh has complained that the act of some journalists displaying photos of suspected Ebola patients in newspapers could cause people to in hiding, if they begin to show signs of the virus.

 Dr. Kateh called on the media to respect the medical privacy of people, who are considered contacts or suspected patients in order to help in the fight against the virus. 

The latest discovery comes at a time when Liberia has gone over 28 days without any new Ebola case throughout the country; something which Liberians saw as a giant step in the fight against the virus, as the country was well on its way to April 13 to be declared Ebola free by the World Health Organization.

 With the newest development, it seems the Ebola virus is now returning and this is disturbing news for the huge efforts and success made by the Liberian government and other partners in the fight against the virus. 

A 44-year old business woman is the newly confirmed case in the country and the actual source of her infection is yet to be established, while at least 80 persons are currently under observation in the Caldwell Community, a suburb of Monrovia.

By Ethel A. Tweh