Ebola makes a comeback in Liberia

On May 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Liberia Ebola-free after 42 days without any new cases. During the outbreak, the country recorded more than 4,800 deaths.

But a new Ebola death on Sunday, the second since last month, hints Liberia is not yet free from the virus. Liberian Chief Medical Officer Dr. Francis Kateh revealed the country now has six confirmed Ebola cases, including the two deaths, at a Tuesday press briefing.

Local health officials responded by placing 124 people under observation in Montserrado and Margibi counties, home to the two people who died. Local officials said those under observation will only be discharged after 21 days of quarantine with no signs of infection.

Deputy Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said the efforts to monitor and isolate possible cases show Liberia is “in control of the outbreak.”

The four Ebola patients are receiving treatment at an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) run by SIM, the U.S.-based international Christian mission organization. During the first Ebola outbreak in 2014, SIM opened the doors of its 130-acre campus in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital, to treat the sick.

“We might be the only ETU open in the country at this point,” said SIM Vice President George Salloum.

When the first Ebola cases broke out in Liberia, SIM set up one of the first ETU’s in Liberia. This created an opportunity for it to dialogue with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to figure out a protocol to handle the deadly disease.

“The protocol we established a while ago seemed to be effective, so we are just following that protocol,” Salloum said, referring to the current cases.

Three SIM employees, two doctors and a technician, contracted Ebola in Liberia. All three returned to the United States for treatment and survived.

Ebola, once thought to have a near 90 percent fatality rate, seems to be less deadly with early medical attention. The World Health Organization reports 1 out of 3 Ebola patients survives. As the disease makes a comeback, Salloum is optimistic the medical community is better prepared to handle it.

“There might be some fear and concerns but I think overall there’s hope because people have seen some positive outcomes in the past year,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.