Guinea’s government raised the death toll in the Ebola epidemic raging through its southern forests to 59 on Saturday.
The health ministry said workers battling to contain the outbreak in the border region had added a further 25 deaths to the toll of 34 given earlier in the day, with a total of 80 cases registered.
Ebola virus identified as source of deadly epidemic in Guinea
The Ebola virus has been identified as the source of an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in southern Guinea, the west African nation said on Saturday as the death toll rose to 34.
Experts in Guinea had been unable to identify the highly contagious disease, whose symptoms – diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding – were first observed six weeks ago but scientists in the French city of Lyon confirmed it was Ebola, the Guinean health ministry said.
“We got the first results from Lyon yesterday (Friday) who informed us of the presence of the Ebola virus as the cause of this outbreak,” said Sakoba Keita, the ministry’s chief disease prevention officer said.
“Up to today we have identified 49 cases with 34 deaths in four prefectures.”
To date, no treatment or vaccine is available for Ebola, which kills between 25 and 90 percent of those who fall sick, depending on the strain of the virus, according to the WHO.
Voice of Russia, AFP
