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reuters.com - By Alphonso Toweh and James Harding Giahyue - July 2, 2015
Liberia confirmed a third Ebola case on Thursday, nearly two months after it was declared Ebola free, and officials said they were investigating whether the disease had managed to lurk in animals before resurfacing.
Dr Moses Massaquoi, case management team leader for Liberia's Ebola task force, said the three villagers who had tested positive for the disease had shared a meal of dog meat, which is commonly eaten in Liberia.
"They come from the same time and have a history of having had dog meat together," he said.
The response team was investigating whether domestic animals might be carrying the virus, he said, referring also to mysterious deaths of hundreds of cattle in remote Lofa county.
(ALSO SEE RELATED INFORMATION HERE)
AFP - YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkuOZCN3Iw
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Uncertainty As Officials Confirm New Liberian Ebola Cases
allafrica.com - eboladeeply.org - by Kate Thomas - July 2, 2015
"Two live cases, in 24-year-old and 27-year-old males, are now in isolation at an Ebola treatment unit," Nyenswah said on Thursday. "We are painstakingly investigating the cause of transmission." . . .
. . . Gbinee raised one possibility: "Before Abraham got sick, a group of gentlemen in the village cooked a dog and shared it around," he said. "He was one of those who ate it. But we've never heard of anyone catching Ebola this way before. Is it even possible?"
(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE IN THE LINKS BELOW)
http://allafrica.com/stories/201507021217.html
http://www.eboladeeply.org/articles/2015/07/8017/uncertainty-liberian-village-officials-confirm-ebola-cases/
Initial Ebola Test on Liberia Dog Carcass Negative: Sources
reuters.com - by Emma Farge - July 7, 2015
A dead dog suspected of being the possible source for the re-emergence of Ebola in Liberia has tested negative for the disease, two health officials said on Tuesday, quoting initial findings.
Residents say that Liberia's first victim of the virus since the country was declared Ebola-free in early May had shared a dog meat meal with residents shortly before he died on June 28.
Researchers have since retrieved the carcass of the dog from the village of Nedowein in Margibi County and tested the remains for Ebola, the sources said.
"I learned today the result was negative, but we have to be careful because the remains are in bad condition and the test is designed for humans," said a health official in Liberia who asked for anonymity since research is ongoing.
(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)
WHO - Liberia Update: New Information from Genetic Sequencing
who.int - Ebola situation assessment - 10 July 2015
On 29 June 2015, a new case of Ebola virus disease was identified in Liberia 50 days after interruption of active transmission was achieved on 9 May. Since then, a cluster of cases has been identified, all of them from Nedowein in Margibi county. Currently, 5 people have been confirmed with Ebola virus disease by laboratory testing.
As part of the investigation into the source of this new cluster of infections, samples taken from the first person found to have Ebola were sent to the Liberian National Reference Laboratory for genetic sequencing. Tests on these samples have shown that the virus is genetically similar to viruses that infected many people in Margibi County more than 6 months ago, in late 2014.
This information provides important insights into the probable origin of the virus responsible for this new flare in Liberia. Because the virus appears to be related to the one previously circulating in Liberia, it is unlikely that this recurrence has been caused by virus imported from infected areas of Guinea or Sierra Leone. It also makes it unlikely that this has been caused by a new emergence from a natural reservoir, such as a bat or other animal.
Genetic sequencing on samples from the 4 other cases in this new outbreak is underway.
149 contacts currently being followed
Presently, 149 people have been identified as contacts and are being monitored closely. Four of these people have tested positive and are being treated for Ebola virus disease in Ebola treatment centres. As with all cases, the number of contacts has been fluctuating. Some are true contacts, while others are not. When a suspected case is confirmed as negative, all contacts associated with that case are de-listed, which is why the number of contacts has declined this week.
Detailed clinical, epidemiological and laboratory investigations are on-going to identify the initial source of infection. This includes the genetic sequencing that has suggested this virus is linked to virus circulating in earlier chains of transmission in Liberia.
At the time of the diagnosis of the first case of the new cluster, Liberia was mid-way through a 90-day period of heightened surveillance and vigilance, following the completion of 42 days since the burial of the last person infected with Ebola virus disease and the declaration of the interruption of transmission in Liberia. During this period, anyone meeting the clinical criteria for Ebola virus disease has been tested and post-mortem tests for Ebola virus are regularly conducted. The new case of Ebola was detected as a result of the heightened surveillance measures being implemented during this period.
Liberia and international community work together to manage the outbreak
Liberia has undertaken the relevant planning to prepare for and respond to the recurrence of Ebola. The Incident Management System immediately activated a team to carry out a detailed investigation and began tracing people who had been in contact with the young man while he was symptomatic.
The UN system and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are supporting the Government with staff already in Liberia. WHO has sent additional experts in epidemiology and social mobilization to ensure that the processes needed to stop transmission are in place and that the community is fully involved in identifying contacts. WHO has staff present in all 15 counties of Liberia and is playing a central role in supporting the Government’s efforts to strengthen surveillance across the country.
Other UN agencies and partners are assisting households being kept in quarantine. The World Food Programme is providing food, UNDP is providing solar lamps and radios, and UNICEF is supplying mattresses and tents to provide families with more space.
The identification of Ebola virus disease and quick activation of a comprehensive, multi-sectoral, inter-agency response shows that capacity exists to quickly identify, track and monitor contacts – one of the core elements of the strategy for stopping further spread of Ebola disease.
The Government is keeping the people of Liberia informed of developments and is reinforcing messages on key steps they should take to protect themselves and their communities. WHO and partners are fully committed to assisting the Government and communities to end this recurrence of Ebola as rapidly as possible.
(FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW)
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebola/10-july-2015-liberia/en/