Ghana’s Health Ministry has issued a health alert following a “strange disease” that has claimed eleven lives in West African country, Liberia. According to the Ministry, it had received information that at least nine others have been infected by the disease, adding that all the victims reported similar symptoms.
“The symptoms reported by the victims mainly are headache, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, mental confusion, abdominal pain and fever. The Ministry has been advised to increase surveillance at all levels to prevent importation of the strange disease,” a letter from the Health Ministry and sighted by citifmonline.com stated.
Health authorities in Liberia were made aware of the unknown disease on April 25, 2017, when several people died in south-eastern Sinoe County.
Five Liberian communities have so far recorded the strange disease.
Strange disease not Ebola
Liberia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Francis Kateh, had said those infected with the ‘strange’ disease showed symptoms of severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and headaches, but added that initial test conducted showed that the disease was not Ebola.
Meanwhile, health professionals suspect that the strange disease is transmitted via body contact.
Blood samples have however been sent for analysis at the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.
The World Health Organization (WHO), has also sent rapid response teams to the area to assist Liberian health officials with technical and logistical support.
Hundreds of people died between 2013 and 2016 after the deadly Ebola struck in some African countries with Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone being the hardest hit countries.
Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
