Four are confirmed dead after contracting the deadly disease following an ebola outbreak in Guinea and Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone health ministry reports.
Since the outbreak in March, around 145 people have died due to complications from the ebola virus. Four of the recent deaths come from the Kailahun district where the outbreak is believed to have originated. Among the four dead was a health worker assigned in the area.
Upon receiving news of the recent casualties, the UN World Health Organization has promised to provide essential supplies to curtail further deaths brought about by the disease.
Known as one of the world's deadliest, there is no known cure for the ebola virus believed to have been propagated by fruit bats. The symptoms of ebola include diarrhea, excessive vomiting, and a high fever while critical stages of the disease are marked by bleeding and brain damage. The disease is highly contagious and may pass on from one person to another through contact with bodily fluids such as the sweat, urine, saliva, and blood of the infected. Although the disease has no known cure, those who receive medical care immediately may face higher chances of survival.
Elsewhere in Africa, there are currently 258 confirmed cases of ebola in Guinea and 9 deaths and 12 suspected cases in Liberia.
The director of Disease Prevention in Sierra Leone, Dr. Amara Jambai, also reports that a special medical team has been sent to the area to investigate and aide those who are experiencing early symptoms of the virus.
