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Ebola Cases in 3 Family Members Confirmed in Liberia Ebola Cases in 3 Family Members Confirmed in Liberia
(about 5 hours later)
Three members of a family in Liberia have contracted Ebola, two months after the country was declared free of the virus, health officials said on Friday. MONROVIA, Liberia — Three members of a family in Liberia have contracted Ebola, two months after the country was declared free of the virus for the second time, health officials said on Friday.
The first documented case in the family was a 10-year-old boy who started showing symptoms last week, said a Liberian health official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The most recent outbreak, which officials are calling the “fourth wave,” was confirmed after a 15-year-old boy with symptoms of Ebola — including fever, weakness and bleeding — was admitted to John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia, the capital, on Tuesday, the Liberian health minister, Dr. Bernice Dahn, said at a news conference. The boy was then placed in isolation in the hospital.
After attending school on Monday and Tuesday, the boy was admitted to a hospital and was transported to an Ebola treatment unit on Wednesday, the official said. Another senior health official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record, said the teenager was taken to the main Ebola treatment unit on Wednesday. He had started showing symptoms of Ebola last week, the official said.
The boy’s test came back positive on Thursday, as did subsequent tests for his father and a sibling, the official said, adding that at least seven health care workers may have treated him without the protective equipment essential for Ebola cases. The teenager’s test came back positive on Thursday, as did tests on Friday for his father and a brother, the official said, adding that at least seven health care workers may have treated the teenager without the protective equipment essential for Ebola cases. A key member of the contact-tracing effort said one nurse wore only regular gloves when treating the teenager, who was bleeding at the time.
Along with the father and the 8-year-old brother who tested positive, the boy’s mother and two other brothers — a 2-month-old and a 5-year-old — were taken to the Ebola treatment center and are being tested. On Friday, two other people suspected of having Ebola were admitted to the center; neither is related to the family, said two health care workers involved with the cases.
In Paynesville, just outside Monrovia, health care workers in hazmat suits could be seen spraying the family’s house with disinfectant on Friday, and contact tracers were interviewing neighbors.
“I feel bad, that is my community members,” said one, Helena Bokai, who sat on her stoop. “Ebola is not for one person. It can travel all over. If they die we will feel bad. All of us are here and are living together.”
Health workers were also seen at the boy’s school, Living in Christ International Ministry School, spraying surfaces, setting up hand wash stations and distributing informational leaflets to students.
There were conflicting reports as to whether the boy had attended school after he became contagious. The vice principal of the school, G. Othello Mannieh, said the boy had not been in school for three weeks, and the school registrar said he had heard the same from other teachers.
But the senior health official said the boy had gone to school on Monday and Tuesday of this week, and an official involved with the investigation said the boy’s father had told health workers that the boy came home sick from school on Nov. 13, was treated at home by his parents over the weekend and went back to school on Monday.
The official involved in the investigation suggested that school officials were denying the boy’s attendance to avoid looking irresponsible.
The World Health Organization declared Liberia free of Ebola on May 9, but a resurgence of the disease the next month sickened four people, two of whom died. The country was declared Ebola-free again on Sept. 3.The World Health Organization declared Liberia free of Ebola on May 9, but a resurgence of the disease the next month sickened four people, two of whom died. The country was declared Ebola-free again on Sept. 3.
In Geneva, Dr. Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organization’s special representative for the Ebola response and deputy director general for outbreaks and health emergencies, told officials that the new case had not dimmed hopes that West African countries might still be moving toward eliminating the original outbreak. In Geneva, Dr. Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organization’s special representative for the Ebola response and deputy director general for outbreaks and health emergencies, told officials that the new cases had not dimmed hopes that West African countries were still moving toward eliminating the original outbreak. The W.H.O. declared Sierra Leone free of Ebola transmissions two weeks ago and Guinea released its last known patient from a treatment unit on Monday.
The boy’s case appears to point to the persistence of the virus among survivors, which can result in occasional resurgence of the disease, Dr. Aylward said, adding that flare-ups are expected to be less common and to end in 2016. The teenager’s case appears to point to the persistence of the virus among survivors, which can result in occasional resurgence of the disease, said Dr. Aylward, adding that flare-ups are expected to be less common and to end in 2016.
Dr. Aylward, said the boy had no known contacts with a survivor or a history of travel that might have put him at risk. “The investigation is ongoing,” Dr. Aylward said. “The country has moved extremely quickly.” Dr. Aylward said the boy had no known contacts with a survivor or a history of travel that might have put him at risk.
He said the latest developments were the seventh time the W.H.O. suspected that a flare-up was related to the persistence of the virus in the population of survivors. For example, scientists have shown that the virus remains present for months in the semen of some men who recover from the disease, and could, in rare cases, be transmitted through unprotected sex.He said the latest developments were the seventh time the W.H.O. suspected that a flare-up was related to the persistence of the virus in the population of survivors. For example, scientists have shown that the virus remains present for months in the semen of some men who recover from the disease, and could, in rare cases, be transmitted through unprotected sex.
In all cases, however, transmission has been stopped quickly, with a low number of subsequent cases. New tools include an experimental vaccine that can be given to those who come into contact with patients.In all cases, however, transmission has been stopped quickly, with a low number of subsequent cases. New tools include an experimental vaccine that can be given to those who come into contact with patients.
Dr. Aylward said the new case highlighted the importance of maintaining strong surveillance programs. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said the center was working closely with the Liberian government.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said in a statement that it was working closely with the Liberian government and with international organizations. It noted that sporadic cases had been expected in Liberia, even though it had been declared free of Ebola. “The new cases in Liberia show both the continuing threat of sporadic cases, and the readiness of the country, which rapidly diagnosed and isolated them,” Dr. Frieden said in an email. “C.D.C. will continue to assist on the front lines. Liberia is now highly experienced at stopping Ebola clusters, and with vigilance, they will do it again.”
“Even though it has been nearly four months since the last Ebola patient was discharged from a Liberian Ebola treatment unit, Liberia has maintained a heightened state of vigilance,” the C.D.C. said in the statement. “Responders have proven to be effective in rapidly identifying, isolating and treating new cases. As the situation continues to evolve, C.D.C. and partners are working hard to rapidly control this case.”
A slow initial global response to the outbreak has been blamed for the scale and length of the epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.A slow initial global response to the outbreak has been blamed for the scale and length of the epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
On Sunday, a committee appointed by the W.H.O.’s director general called for overhauls at the agency in the wake of the epidemic, including integrating emergency response and outbreak control functions, with oversight by an independent body.
Three other panels, including one convened by Harvard and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and another by the National Academy of Medicine, are expected to release recommendations on preventing and controlling future pandemics in the coming weeks.