Conakry (AFP)
Guinea is again in an "epidemic situation" of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, five years after the end of the previous epidemic, after the confirmation of the appearance in the south-east of the country of seven cases, including three fatalities, a said Sunday the boss of the Guinean health agency, Sakoba Keïta.
Saturday evening, the Minister of Health, Rémy Lamah, had mentioned a death toll of four.
Health officials did not immediately specify why this death toll had been reduced to three.
This is the first reported resurgence of the disease in West Africa, where the worst outbreak in history of the virus started, which killed more than 11,300 between 2013 and 2016.
"His funeral took place in Gouecké on February 1 and some people who took part in this funeral began to have symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding and fever a few days later," said the head of the health agency.
The first samples tested by a laboratory set up by the European Union in Guéckédou, in the region, revealed the presence of the Ebola virus in some of them on Friday, he said.
"Very early this morning, the Conakry laboratory confirmed the presence of the Ebola virus", added Dr Keïta.
"In total, there were seven cases, including three deaths," he said.
"This situation puts Guinea in a situation of an Ebola epidemic," said the doctor.
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