The World Health Organization (WHO) has recenly said the Ebola virus has caused 21 deaths and 37 new possible cases in Guinea during the May 29 to June 1, 2014 period, weakening claims that Ebola-caused deaths in the country is decreasing.
This rise in the cases of Ebola virus came after a statement was released by the Guinea Health Ministry last April 24, saying that the country's situation was "more and more under control thanks to measures taken by the government and its partners."
The doctors' organization Doctors Without Borders said that there are now fresh cases--some even in areas that have previously unaffected by the disease. It further reported that it is now starting to affect new areas like the capital Conakry, as well as Macenta and Gueckedou.
Guinea is popular for its weekly markets which are often attended by traders from other areas in the region and even from some other countries.
After two months of not having new Ebola cases, Liberia has now also started to a see spike in the number of new Ebola cases. Earlier this year, there were 21 confirmed cases of the disease and 9 deaths in the area, according to the WHO.
Bart Janssens, director of operations for the organization, said: "It clearly indicates that the epidemic is not at all under control as we might have hoped one or two weeks ago, when we really saw cases continually going down over time."
Ebola--hemorrhagic fever that has a 90% fatality rate--still has no cure or vaccine. To address this concern, WHO sent five experts to Guinea and its nearby areas to help control it, and also to observe those people who have been affected.
Ebola was first known in 1976, when it was discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The name was derived from the Ebola River, headstream of the Mongala River.
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