Three New Ebola cases confirmed in Liberia

Health officials have said that three new cases of Ebola have been found in Liberia. A 10-year-old boy in Paynesville, a suburb of the capital, Monrovia, and his two immediate family members have tested positive for the virus.

It is a big shock for Liberia as it was officially announced Ebola-free. On May 9, Liberia was declared Ebola-free but in June, new cases have been detected. These three patients along with three others were taken to an Ebola treatment center outside Monrovia.

On September 3, the World Health Organization has declared the West African country free from Ebola. Bruce Aylward, WHO’s Ebola response team head, has said that for now it is not known how the boy contracted the disease.

As per Bruce, the child and other two infected members do not have any known history of contact with anyone who has suffered Ebola. It is a matter of concern for Liberia, as it was one of the West African nations, which was hard hit during the Ebola outbreak that started in December 2013. In the outbreak, more than 10,000 cases and over 4,800 people died.

In all, the epidemic has taken lives of around 11,300 people majorly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. On Friday morning, the boy was confirmed to be having Ebola and by evening, the boy’s father and brother were also confirmed of having the disease. The announcement has come few days after Guinea was announced free of Ebola transmission.