About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Sierra Leone Capital Reports First Ebola Victim

by Himabindu Venkatakrishnan on July 28, 2014 at 6:55 PM
Font : A-A+

 Sierra Leone Capital Reports First Ebola Victim

First confirmed case of Ebola was reported in a woman in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, who died after her parents forcibly took her from hospital, the health ministry said Sunday.

Saudatu Koroma, a 32-year-old trainee hairdresser, was admitted to a clinic in a western suburb of the capital on July 23 and tested positive for the disease, which has already killed more than 200 people in Sierra Leone.

Advertisement

"Her father and mother forcefully took her away from the hospital" two days later, health ministry spokesperson Sidi Yahya Tunis told AFP.

Koroma's disappearance prompted Freetown authorities to broadcast a nationwide radio and television campaign, which eventually persuaded her to return for treatment, Tunis said.
Advertisement

Koroma died on Saturday while on her way to an Ebola treatment centre in the country's east.

"She was severely dehydrated and weak and could hardly speak," Tunis said.

"Blood samples taken from both the father and mother are now being tested."

The house where the dead woman had lived in the east of Freetown have been quarantined with the other residents for 21 days.

Koroma was the first confirmed case of Ebola to reach Freetown in what has become the deadliest ever outbreak of the virus, with more than 650 people killed in four west African countries this year.

Sierra Leone's health ministry said an Ebola treatment centre has been established at Lakka Hospital and health staff have been trained to handle the disease. Surveillance has been increased and people have been asked to report all suspected cases to health authorities, it added.

An AFP journalist in Freetown said people were calm and going about their normal business on Sunday.

Ebola can fell victims within days, causing severe fever and muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in some cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

The highly contagious disease is fatal in up to 90 percent of cases and spreads among humans via bodily fluids, including sweat, meaning you can get sick from touching an infected person.

Freetown's first Ebola case comes after the incurable disease was confirmed to have reached Lagos in Nigeria, Africa's biggest city.

An American doctor battling the epidemic has himself fallen sick with the disease in Liberia, his aid agency said on Saturday.

With no vaccine, patients believed to have caught the virus must be isolated to prevent further contagion.

Source: AFP
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Tropical Disease News

Oral Cholera Vaccine Launched in India by Pharma Giants
Mumbai's TechInvention Lifecare and South Korean Eubiologics team up to introduce oral cholera vaccine in India after successful phase III clinical trial.
Evolving Threat of Dengue Virus in India
Scientists have found that the dengue virus has become more severe in India, highlighting the urgent need for vaccines that target the strains found in the country.
 Watch Out for Acute Kidney Disease as a Complication of Malaria
It is important to consider malarial infection in cases of acute kidney injury in someone with a travel history from endemic areas to improve treatment outcomes.
India's Malaria Vaccine Gets the Green Light for First Time in Ghana
Ghana approves the use of the University of Oxford's malaria vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), becoming the first country to adopt the new vaccine.
 Deadly Dengue Virus Hijacks Mosquito Saliva to Spread Sickness
The dengue virus combines molecules from its RNA with mosquito saliva to foil the human immune system and spread dengue fever and related diseases.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Sierra Leone Capital Reports First Ebola Victim Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests