A leading health official in the West African nation recently said Guinea had entered an "Ebola 'epidemic situation' with seven confirmed cases," including 3 fatalities.
The Guardian reported that after an emergency meeting in a capital, Sakoba Keita said "very early this morning," the Conakry lab verified "the presence of the Ebola virus."
Remy Lamah, the health minister, had previously announced four deaths. It was not instantaneously clear why the new toll was lower.
Furthermore, cases marked Ebola's initial known resurgence in west Africa since the 2013 to 2016 outbreak that started in Guinea and took over 11,300 lives of people throughout the region.
The Virus, Originally Detected in 1976
The virus was originally detected in 1976 in Zaire, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC. A representative from the World Health Organization in Conakry said, the WHO would send help right away.
Keita, the National Agency for Health Security head, said, one person had died late last month in Gouécké, south-east Guinea, near the Liberian border.
The victim, according to the said report, was buried in early February, and some people who participated in the funeral started to experience symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding and fever a couple of days after, he explained.
Samples that a laboratory set up by the EU in Geuckedou, located in the same region set up showed the existence of Ebola "in some of them on Friday," Keita explained adding, with seven confirmed cases and three deaths in all, Guinea "was in an 'Ebola epidemic situation'."
WHO on Full Alert
Alfred George Ki-Zerbo, the WHO representative, said during a press briefing that they're going to quickly deploy important assets Guinea, which already has significant experience in treating the disease.
He also said their arsenal is stronger now and they are taking advantage of that to control the situation the fastest possible they can.
He elaborated that the Who "is on full alert" and is currently contacting the vaccine manufacturer to guarantee that the necessary doses are made available as fast as possible to help combat the virus.
Furthermore, the WHO has considered each outbreak of the Ebola virus since 2016 with great concert that treats the most recent one, in DRC, as a global health emergency.
In Liberia, neighbor of Guinea, George Weah, the president, put the health authorities of the nation on heightened alert on Sunday.
The leader has required the Liberian health officials and related stakeholders in the sector to intensify the surveillance of the country, as well as the preventive measures.
Initiative to Avoid Any Occurrence of the Epidemic
No Ebola cases had been identified in Liberia, so far. The instruction of the president tended to guarantee the acts of Liberia are proactive in avoiding any occurrence of the epidemic.
No cases of Ebola had been detected in Liberia so far, it added. "The president's instruction is intended to ensure Liberia acts proactively to avoid any epidemic situation, the kind Liberia witnessed in 2014."
Additionally, Weah instructed the health officials to immediately involve communities in towns and villages as well, that border Guinea and increase measures until Ebola.
DRC has experienced several outbreaks of the disease, with the WHO confirming late last week, a resurgence of the virus three months following the authorities' declaration to end the latest outbreak of the country.
In connection to this, the country also announced the "six-month epidemic over in November." It was the 11th Ebola outbreak in the country, causing 55 deaths from 130 confirmed cases.
Essentially, vaccinations' widespread use, which was given to over 40,000 people, helped.
The widespread use of vaccinations, which were administered to more than 40,000 people, helped curb control the disease in the country.
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