By Evelyn T. Kpadeh
MONROVIA
Liberia has announced the death of a 44-year-old woman who had recently tested positive for Ebola, delivering a blow to the country's hopes of being declared Ebola-free.
The death was announced by the head of Liberia's Ebola Incident Management System, Tolbert Nyenswah, on state media.
"In spite of the professional and medical efforts and attention given to the woman by local and internal health workers," Nyenswah said, "the country still lost her."
"We regret the lady's death and say to the family to find solace in the Lord," the official asserted.
He added that investigators would look into how the woman contracted the virus, with more than 200 people now being monitored by a contact tracing team.
Nyenswah called on Liberians to continue observing Ebola-related safety measures.
"Ebola is still here; let us keep washing our hands, stop shaking hands and hugging. Ebola is deadly," Nyenswah said.
Two other suspected cases tested negative for the virus, but more tests will be done in coming days, he said.
One suspected case involves the daughter of the victim, while the other is a young man believed to hail from the Newkru Town community.
The new cases have deflated hopes that Liberia might soon be declared Ebola-free.
The country had another 13 days to achieve Ebola-free status before the latest infections were reported.
Liberia discharged its last known Ebola survivor, Beatrice Yardolo, on March 5.
The country's first Ebola case was reported on March 24 of last year in Lofa County.
Since then, Ebola – a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure – has killed nearly 10,194 people, mostly in West Africa, according to a March 11 status report issued by the World Health Organization.
In Liberia alone, the virus has claimed at least 4,265 lives.
