Last known Ebola patient dies from virus

dimeji akinloye

March 28, 2015 2:57 PM

Authorities say the patient may have contracted the virus through sex with a survivor.

___3610206___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___3610206___2015___3___28___14___Ebola-Victim

Liberia’s last known Ebola patient has died at a treatment centre in Monrovia, the country's capital, acting head of the country’s Ebola response team, Francis Ketteh, said.

The patient, a woman, died on Friday, March 27. Authorities say she may have contracted the virus through sex with a survivor.

"We have been able to trace the people she came in contact with," Ketteh told Reuters. "We call on everyone to follow the Ebola preventative measures."

According to Aljazeera, before the woman fell ill, the Liberian government had hoped to declare the country Ebola-free next month, 42 days after the last patient tested negative for a second time, which would mark double the length of the virus's incubation period.

The general population have been warned that even after areas are declared free of the disease, new cases are possible through sexual transmission. Liberia remains vulnerable to cases imported from Guinea and Sierra Leone.

However, beginning on Friday, March 28, Sierra Leone's six million people were being confined to their homes for three days as nation resorted again to a sweeping shutdown in a final push to stamp out Ebola. Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma vowed to do "whatever it takes" to get to zero cases.

dimeji akinloye