A new case of Ebola has been confirmed in Sierra Leone, officials said Thursday, the second since West Africa celebrated the end of the epidemic last week.
The new case involved the aunt, 38-year old woman, of 22-year-old Marie Jalloh, who died of Ebola on January 12.
Marie Jalloh’s death in the town of Magburaka in the northern Tonkolili district marked the resurgence of the epidemic in the country.
The fresh outbreak has prompted the country to re-open its Ebola treatment centres and relaunch screening systems, including checkpoints on motorways, a grim reminder of the much feared tropical virus.
The 38-year-old woman “was a primary caregiver during (her niece’s) illness,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP in an email.
He added that the patient had developed symptoms on Wednesday while she was being monitored at a quarantine facility.
Meanwhile, authorities were struggling to locate the step-father of the dead victim who is said to have gone into hiding to avoid quarantine. Shiekh Osman Kamara, categorised among the high risk contacts, reportedly provided shelter for her when she fell ill.
The EOC had erroneously reported over the weekend that he’d been located. But Mr Tunis confirmed Wednesday evening that he was “still at large.”
Also, contrary to an earlier announcement, reports indicate that about 50 contacts of the dead woman are missing, 18 of them high risk.
The authorities had said Saturday that only three contacts were missing.
The EOC said frantic efforts were being made, including a house-to-house search conducted on Sunday in a part of Freetown, to locate the step-father.
Meanwhile, health officials were also to commence mass vaccination of the 109 contacts available on Wednesday.
