More Ebola cases have been reported in Guinea and Sierra Leone with 132 new cases in the week to 1 March, an increase of 34 over the previous week says the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to a UN Agency in its latest update of the Epidemic in West Africa, Liberia did not report any new confirmed infections in the week for the first time since May last year, but disease surveillance may not be optimal given the low number of samples.
The WHO pointed out that communities were still resisting to bringing infected family members to treatment centres; stating that in Guinea, Only half of the 51 new infections came from registered contacts of Ebola patients and some cases are only identified after post-mortem testing.
In Sierra Leone, the virus is still wide spread, which 81 new cases including 26 in the capital Freetown was recorded. “The number of confirmed Ebola virus disease deaths occurring in the community in Guinea and Sierra Leone remains high, suggesting that the need for early isolation and treatment is not yet understood, accepted or acted upon.
“Unsafe burials continue to occur, with 16 reports of unsafe burials in both Guinea and Sierra Leone, respectively,” it said.
More than 23, 900 confirmed and suspected cases of Ebola have been reported since the outbreak began in December 2013, including more than 9000 deaths, and 500 health workers inclusive.
