Dead woman tests positive for Ebola in Sierra Leone

Sep 4, 2015 Sierra Leone recently recoded another case of the Ebola virus after a dead woman in the Kambia district, along the border with Guinea, tested positive for Ebola.

The recent death occurred barely a week after Sierra Leone began a 42 – day countdown to declare itself free of Ebola.

The incident was confirmed by Sidi Yaya, the head of communications at the National Ebola Response Centre:

“Now it is confirmed that indeed we recorded a case of Ebola, that is swab positive in Kambia district on the 28th of August and this case involves a 60 plus -year old woman – we are yet to confirm her age – this woman, you know, fell ill, and off course died, and when the swab was taken the test results showed positive. So it is indeed confirmed,”

Yaya also expressed concern that the latest victim may have had contact with others.

“Communities must remain vigilant if we are to entirely win this fight. It’s a classic example of how things can go wrong if we tend to move away from doing the right things,”

Sierra Leone’s chief medical officer, Brima Kargbo also confirmed that further tests were currently being conducted in Makeni and in the capital Freetown.

Sierra Leone recently released its last confirmed Ebola patient from hospital. The survivor, 35 year old Adama Sankoh, had responded well to treatment and received her second negative test result before her release.

Her release was marked by a ceremony attended by President Ernest Bai Koroma, during which the country began a 42-day countdown to being declared free of the virus.

A similar case was recorded in Liberia, two months after it was declared Ebola free. Scientists have however suggested that sexual transmission was the most likely explanation for the resurgence, since the virus can survive in semen beyond the usual 21-day incubation period.