Liberia announces return of Ebola, with one new death

[MONROVIA] Liberia announced the return of the deadly Ebola virus on Tuesday, more than six weeks after the country eradicated the disease.

"A new case of Ebola has been reported in Margibi County. The person has died and was confirmed positive before death. He has been buried," said deputy health minister Tolbert Nyensuah.

The official told a radio station experts had traced and quarantined anyone who may have had contact with the victim, without giving numbers or any details on the patient.

"We are investigating to know the origin of this new case. We ask all Liberians and all other nationals living in Liberia to continue taking the preventive measures," he said.

Liberia's neighbours Guinea and Sierra Leone are both battling the outbreak, which has killed more than 11,000 people, but the coastal Margibi County is much nearer the capital Monrovia than either border.

World Health Organization spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told reporters in Geneva the UN health body had been informed of the case.

AFP