| Voice of America | - |
Health
authorities are trying to determine who on a series of flights across
West Africa last week came into contact with a man who days later died
of the Ebola virus.
News / Africa
Officials Seek Contacts of Ebola Victim Who Died in Nigeria
Last updated on: July 29, 2014 1:03 AM
Patrick Sawyer boarded a flight in Liberia, had a layover in Ghana, and changed planes in Togo for a flight to Lagos, Nigeria where he died Friday of the virus.
Sawyer was immediately quarantined when he arrived in Nigeria, but other passengers were allowed to leave the airport after they were told about the Ebola outbreak.
The West African airline that Sawyer flew on has suspended its operations in Monrovia, Liberia and Freetown, Sierra Leone -- two cities affected by the outbreak.
Arik Airlines said Tuesday its flights to the cities would be suspended until further notice as a result of the confirmed Ebola death in Lagos, Nigeria.
World Health Organization [WHO] spokesman Paul Garwood said because of the close proximity of countries in the region, an effective response to the outbreak must include contact tracing and lab testing.
"We understand that in this part of the world, the borders are very, very porous, so it's quite easy for people to cross from one country into another, without detection, without using a regular border crossing," said Garwood.
Sawyer worked for Liberia's Finance Ministry and was headed to Nigeria for a conference.
Witnesses said Sawyer appeared to be ill on at least one of his flights.
But health experts say that is not necessarily enough to infect others. Contracting Ebola requires direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
WHO says Ebola has killed at least 672 people in West Africa. The majority of deaths are in Guinea.
In a report updated on Saturday, WHO said 319 people had died from Ebola in Guinea. The health organization reported 224 deaths in Sierra Leone and 129 in Liberia.
There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, which causes symptoms that include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and unstoppable bleeding.
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