Ebola kills three in Liberia on HWN EBOLA UPDATE

Health officials in Liberia on Thursday confirmed a third case of Ebola. These newly diagnosed cases come two months after the country was declared Ebola-free, and Liberia’s government, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relief organizations are bracing for another outbreak.

According to the WHO, officials confirmed a case of Ebola on June 29 in Margibi County during “routine surveillance.” The 17-year-old male, Abraham Memaigar, began experiencing symptoms of the virus on June 21, at which point he visited a nearby health facility. He received treatment for malaria, not Ebola, and was discharged soon after and died on June 28. His body was buried the same day and a post-mortem oral swab—done twice—tested positive for the Ebola virus.

Two additional cases have been confirmed since then, and officials are now monitoring more than 100 people in the county who may have come into contact with patients. They expect that number to increase as investigations into the cases continue.