#Article (Archive)

Ebola Update

Aug 22, 2014, 10:03 AM

The head of an international medical charity has accused world leaders of doing “almost zero” to help countries affected by the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus in history.

“Leaders in the West are talking about their own safety and doing things like closing airlines –and not helping anyone else,” Brice de la Vigne, the operations director of Medecins Sans Frontieres told The Guardian.

Liberia - Police in Monrovia fired live rounds and tear gas during protests after a quarantine was imposed to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.

Residents of the capital’s West Point slum area say the barbed wire blockade stops them buying food and working. Four people are said to have been injured in the clashes.

Liberia has seen the most deaths - 576 - in the world’s worst Ebola outbreak, which has hit West Africa this year.

Nigeria - Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the senior consultant endocrinologist who became infected with the deadly Ebola virus while treating the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, died Tuesday, medical authorities said.

Ms. Adadevoh died in an isolation facility of the Mainland Hospital, Lagos, bringing to five the number of people killed in Nigeria. Her death followed those of Mr. Sawyer, two nurses, and a protocol officer for ECOWAS who attended to Mr. Sawyer as he arrived at Lagos airport.

In an unsuccessfulattempt, the Nigerian government wanted to have her (Ms. Adadevoh) treated with Zmapp, the experimental drug used by the United States to treat two of its doctors who contracted Ebola in Liberia, but The Americans turned down the request saying the drug was not yet available in enough quantities and that African nations needed to adopt alternative strategies to combat the virus. The manufacturing firm of Zmapp said last week they had run out of stock.

It also said in a statement that 189 people in Lagos and six others in the southeastern city of Enugu were under surveillance.

.South Africa on Thursday issued a temporary travel ban to the Ebola-affected countries precisely Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. South Africans are also advised not to travel to the affected countries.

Meanwhile the US doctor and aid worker who contracted Ebola have been released from Atlanta hospital after successful experimental treatment.

Ebola casualties up to 18 August 1,350; Total death toll: 576 Liberia; 396 Guinea; 374 Sierra Leone; 4 Nigeria.

Source: WHO