Monrovia - Liberia's Ebola
death toll was rising
dramatically, the Health
Ministry said on Tuesday,
while abandoned bodies were
lining streets across the country. A total of 268 people had died
of the virus as of 2 August,
said Assistant Health Minister
for Preventive Services Tolbert
Nyenswah. On 28 July, the
Health Ministry had recorded 181 deaths, a week earlier 130
deaths. Among the dead were 37
health workers, according to
Nyenswah, and 2 497 people
were suspected to be infected
with Ebola. Dead bodies were meanwhile
lying abandoned as Liberia's
authorities were struggling to
cope with the Ebola outbreak
that killed hundreds across
West Africa, witnesses and local media reported. Numerous health facilities had
to shut down across the
country after health care
workers were threatened by
locals who believe foreigners
had brought Ebola into the country. The World Health Organization
is warning of possibly
"catastrophic" consequences in
West Africa - in Guinea, Sierra
Leone, Liberia and Nigeria -
which they say is the deadliest ever. As of 31 July, the WHO had
recorded 1 323 cases
confirmed or suspected cases
of Ebola in West Africa. Of
these, 729 people have died. Two doctors treating infected
patients have died of the
disease, one in Sierra Leone,
the other in Liberia. More than 60 healthcare
workers also lost their lives,
according to the WHO. A US doctor suffering from
Ebola is being treated at an
Atlanta hospital after being
evacuated from Liberia on
Saturday. The outbreak has been caused
by the most lethal strain in the
family of Ebola viruses. Ebola causes massive
haemorrhages and has a
fatality rate of 90%. It is
transmitted through blood and
other body fluids.
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