By Evelyn T. Kpadeh
MONROVIA
Liberian authorities on Wednesday reported two new Ebola infections, bringing the total number of new infections in the West African country to three and putting its goal of being declared Ebola-free further out of reach.
Sompson Sieh, the country's deputy Ebola incident manager, said one of the two cases involved an 18-year-old girl who was taking care of her 44-year-old mother who recently tested positive for the virus.
The mother used to sell food at a local community school before being taken to hospital on Friday after showing signs of the virus and later testing positive.
Liberian health workers are currently monitoring more than 80 people from the infected woman's community.
The second new case, Sieh said, was that of a young man whose girlfriend is said to be involved in cross-border trade from the New Kru Town community.
"We are still questioning the young man and trying to convince him to tell us who he has come into contact with," Sieh told the Anadolu Agency.
"He lives in the New Kru Town area, but was seen in the Clara Town area vomiting blood – that was how he was collected and taken to the Ebola treatment unit," the official said.
The new cases have deflated hopes that Liberia might soon be declared Ebola-free.
The country had another 13 days to achieve Ebola-free status before the latest infections were reported.
Liberia discharged its last known Ebola survivor, Beatrice Yardolo, on March 5.
The country's first Ebola case was reported on March 24 of last year in Lofa County.
Since then, Ebola – a contagious disease for which there is no known treatment or cure – has killed nearly 10,194 people, mostly in West Africa, according to a March 11 status report issued by the World Health Organization.
In Liberia alone, the virus has claimed at least 4,264 lives.
