The fifth patient of the latest Ebola virus outbreak in Southeast Guinea has died, health officials announced, Tuesday.
Since Feb. 29, five people have already died of Ebola, which elevated concerns of possible spread of the virus' recent flare-up.
The Latest Case
The newest death due to Ebola was reported in the Macenta prefecture, which is approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the community of Koropara, where the four earlier mortalities have been detected.
How the four people contracted the virus remains unclear up to now, but it is well worthy to note that Koropara refused the efforts of battling the onset of Ebola.
Fode Sylla Tass from the National Coordination of the Fight against Ebola in Guinea says the man, whose identity is yet to be determined, had recently went to Koropara. He was also reported to have direct contact with the four patients.
The man was buried in Makoidou village, without cleaning or performing sanitary interventions on the body.
In the past, dead bodies, including those infected with Ebola, were washed thoroughly prior to burial. However, washing infected bodies has become a significant medium of virus transmission.
Authorities Action
The Ebola coordination team of the country has traced about 816 individuals who may have possibly come in contact with the first four patients who recently contracted the virus.
Guinea's neighbor Liberia has already closed its border on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.
People Worried
Citizens, particularly in Makoidu, expressed their worries and panic over the event.
"When the villagers realized that the test conducted by our health teams on the man were positive, they all fled into the bush," says Tass.
Ebola In Guinea
Guinea is among the three West African nations where Ebola emerged the highest. In December 2015, Guinea was declared Ebola-free, but then the World Health Organization did not close the book and instead said that possible flare-ups may soon occur.
Indeed, with the new cases being noted in the nation, the virus has not yet been completely eliminated.
Photo: CDC Global | Flickr
