Sierra Leone records new Ebola case

After six days of zero Ebola case in Sierra Leone, the National Ebola Response Center (NERC) has confirmed to Xinhua that one case of Ebola has occurred in the country over the weekend.

According to Yaya Tunis, Communication Officer of the NERC, the case occured in Sellakafter community in the Kambia district, north of Sierra Leone. Kambia district had gone 50 days without recording a single case of Ebola.

Tunis told Xinhua that as a result of the new case, ten high risk people who were in close contact with the victim have been quarantined whilst a full-scale investigations on the source has put in place. From the investigation, they would decide whether the entire community should be quarantined.

He denied allegation of complacency by NERC, noting that two rapid response teams have been put in place to arrest any transmission. This case, Tunis said, has reversed and affected the gains made in the fight against the disease as the country had started the countdown to the 42 days of the incubation period.

He commended the proactive stance by the District Ebola Response team for testing the deceased lady before she was buried which proved the lady positive of Ebola virus.

He could not comment on allegations that the 60 year old lady might have contacted the virus by a male survivor from a nearby village who has been visiting the lady. It is unclear if their relationship has been sexual. Medical experts say male Ebola survivors can carry the virus in their testicles and semens for months.

Meanwhile President Ernest Bai Koroma over the weekend launched a one billion leones fund to help Ebola survivors to gain skills training and empower them to be useful citizens in the community.