Health

Liberia records first Ebola death since July

Liberia records first Ebola death since July

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this Tuesday, June 30, 2015, file photo health workers wash their hands after taking a blood specimen from a child to test for the Ebola virus in a area were a 17-year old boy died from the virus on the outskirts of Monrovia, Liberia. Deputy Health Minister and head of the Ebola response, Tolbert Nyenswah, told The Associated Press the woman in her early 20s who died on July 12 was linked to the 17-year-old boy who died last month. Photo: AP

MONROVIA: A health official in Liberia says the country has recorded its first Ebola death since July. Dr. Francis Kateh, Liberia's chief medical officer, said by text message Tuesday that a 15-year-old boy who was confirmed positive for Ebola on Friday died Monday night. The boy was the first Ebola patient in the country since it was declared Ebola-free for a second time in September. Liberia was one of the three West African countries hit hardest by the worst Ebola outbreak in history, recording more than 10,600 cases and more than 4,800 deaths. Kateh said on Monday that Liberia had sought help from two experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help determine the cause of the latest cases. The boy's father and brother also have Ebola.