Just when everyone thought the epidemic-stricken African nation was cleared of the malady, a 17-year-old boy died of Ebola, a harsh setback after the country was declared Ebola-free last May, officials confirmed.
Liberian officials already quarantined the area near the capital city where the boy died, Wall Street Journal reports.
According to Deputy Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah, the government is keeping its eye on dozens of people who might have come into contact with the boy who died on Sunday.
Nyenswah assured the public that the government is already doing its best to prevent Ebola from breaking again. He was even confident that Liberia could once again be Ebola-free.
"We will show the world this is something we are used to dealing with," he said.
The boy was buried following strict Ebola guidelines to prevent the infection from spreading, a report from ABC News can confirm.
"Although this was not the situation we were hoping for, this incident demonstrates[s] that our alert systems are working," Liberia's Minister of Health Dr. Bernice Dhan said in a statement.
He also quipped that Liberia's "structures" are now in "place to strengthen our surveillance systems" in the country for quick response on any Ebola alert.
"It is critical that the Liberian people remain vigilant and continue all prevention measures to stop the spread of Ebola," the minister said.
Authorities are now investigating how the boy caught Ebola.
The World Health Organization cleared Liberia from Ebola on May 9. The country has been Ebola-free for 42 days, a major milestone for a country that already saw 5,000 people died every year because of the epidemic. Last September, Ebola casualties peaked to 400 lives a week. International health officials, however, warned Liberian officials that it has to keep on the lookout because the West African region is not yet free from the disease.
