AN AID AGENCY worker has died from the deadly Ebola virus.
Plan confirmed that a member of its staff has died from the virus, for which there is no effective treatment and has killed a total of 78 people in Guinea.
It has now spread across the border to neighbouring Liberia, where there has been four confirmed deaths from the virus, with another eight suspected cases.
“Poor living conditions and lack of water and sanitation in most parts of Guinea and Liberia pose a serious risk of this epidemic spiralling into a crisis,” Plan Ireland’s Head of Programmes Paddy Austin said.
In Liberia, Plan has printed and shared 15,000 health promotion brochures on Ebola prevention with the Ministry for distribution across the country including the areas where Ebola has struck.
He also reiterated the agency’s fears that it will spread to more regions.
Medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders said yesterday that the outbreak was an “unprecedented epidemic” that had spread across the west African nation.
Guinean health authorities have also recorded 122 suspected cases.
The World Health Organisation has said it is not recommending travel or trade restrictions to Guinea, Liberia, or to Sierra Leone, which has reported suspected cases, based on the information currently available.
But Senegal has closed border crossings to Guinea “until further notice”.
The tropical virus leads to haemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.
Additional reporting: - © AFP, 2014
Previously: Ebola outbreak in Guinea ‘could become regional epidemic’ >
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