It has been confirmed that a Liberian passenger on a Nigeria bound flight died from the viral disease days after landing in the African country. This is a worrying development indeed, as the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has now taken a foothold in four countries, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria.
Last Friday a woman in Sierra Leone died in an ambulance on her way to another hospital, after being forcibly removed from a separate medical facility by relatives, who took her to a healer instead. When authorities finally caught up with the runaway patient, it was too late to do anything for her. Religious and superstitious beliefs, and often also mistrust of medical personnel, are hindering the containment of the epidemic.
More than 600 people have died in the current outbreak. The mortality of the virus ranges from 60 to about 93 percent, depending on the viral strain. Currently, there is no cure for Ebola. Treatment is limited to antiviral drugs and palliative care.